A Shot at Redemption
by Jack1157
Summary: This is an AU about Gohan's life if Raditz had successfully kidnapped him, and his subsequent time as one of Freeza's slaves. It follows Gohan's transformation from a naive human child into a ruthless Saiyan warrior. Graphic violence and torture scenes.
1. Chapter 1

AN- Hello my name is Jack and this is my first Fic. It is an AU about Gohan's life if Raditz had successfully kidnapped him, and his transformation into a ruthless Saiyan warrior. It will contain some language and graphic violence it will be very angsty with some possible romance later on. Originally I wanted to maintain a T rating but I think an M is more appropriate. Sorry if this first bit seems a little rushed I want to quickly get into the meat of the story.

Disclaimer- I don't own DBZ or any characters they all belong to Akira Toriyama.

A Shot at Redemption

(Scene of the Battle)

"Goodbye Brother, I'll take good care of your son for you. He can grow up to be just like his uncle." Raditz sneered as he disintegrated Goku's now lifeless body. He had to admit that the Namekian had him worried, but right before the deadly spiral of energy reached him Kakarrot's grip had loosened and Raditz had escaped. The beam had cut cleanly through Kakarrot's torso and left him quickly bleeding out through the gaping hole.

After that the Namekian had been effortlessly disposed of. Raditz floated down the crater towards his pod grasping his unconscious nephew by his tail. He climbed into the pod tossing Gohan unceremoniously at his feet. The toddler then began to stir prompting Raditz to quickly knock him back out. "It's a long flight nephew and I hate can't stand crying babies."

(Kame House)

As Krillin felt the last of Goku and Piccolo's energy fade he finally snapped and took off towards the site of the battle. "Don't go Krillin it's too dangerous," Bulma shouted at him but he quickly became a dot on the horizon. "It's too late Bulma, Goku is dead and now without Piccolo the dragon balls are useless. Krillin is doing the only thing he can to stop that monster Raditz, save Goku's son." Master Roshi said a bit shakily, with this sudden realization Bulma broke down and cried. "No Goku can't be dead, he can't." She shrieked while pounding her fists into the sand.

Master Roshi was at a loss, there had always been a way to bring back the people that had died in battle. He, Krillin, and Chiaotzu had all died fighting King Piccolo but had been brought back, now there were no dragon balls and no other way to bring Goku back.

Bulma's tears slowed and she slowly stood up, "No I won't accept it. We have to find a way to bring him back." She stood up fully and her face set in a mask of determination, "We will get Goku back."

(Scene of the Battle)

Krillin came upon the scene of the fight right as the pod took off. He raced as fast as he could to catch it but it was no use, in a last ditched effort he got ready to fire a Ki blast. Right before he was going to blow it out of the sky he sensed a second person in the pod. It was faint indicating unconsciousness, but he immediately recognized it as Goku's son. He quickly dissipated the attack seeing as how it would probably not harm the freakishly strong alien and could possible kill the toddler he had taken.

He then began frantically looking for Goku. The only thing he found left of his best friend however was a piece of singed GI. Krillin picked it up and tearfully made a silent promise to his friend that he would find his son and bring him back to Earth. Krillin then looked to the battered body of Piccolo, he didn't seem quite so evil right then and Krillin decided that if there was a way to get Goku back then Piccolo would be brought back as well.

During his flight back to Kame House Krillin went over several ideas to get Gohan back. He realized that he couldn't find Raditz on his own. He would need a ship from Bulma, Tien and Yamcha to help him search, and a fast way to get strong enough to take on Raditz or any other threat.

(Kame House)

When he landed his mind was racing over every possible way to quickly become stronger than Raditz, a seemingly impossible task but there had to be something he could do. Shortly after entering the house he discovered that Bulma was already making phone calls to organize a rescue party. She had called her father at Capsule Corp to modify the ship that he had designed for commercial travel into deep space. She had also called Yamcha and told him about the situation and to meet them at CC the next day. Then came the part that they had all been secretly dreading, telling Chichi of the horrible situation.

Krillin and Bulma were in the process of arguing over who would tell Chichi when they both heard a strange voice. "Goku are these the two you were looking for?" "Yeah thanks King Kai this should only take a second. Krillin Bulma it's me," Goku cheerfully announced.

"Goku, but, but how you're supposed to be in Otherworld?" Krillin asked.

"Yeah I am but me and Piccolo got to keep our bodies. We're here with the guardian of the North Galaxy, King Kai. He agreed to train me and Piccolo; he also told us how we could be brought back to life. It turns out that Piccolo and Kami are aliens from a planet called Namek. And that there is another set of dragon balls on Namek. He said that he could send Namek's location to you guys telepathically. I'll break the news to Chichi you guys just focus on getting to Namek and getting the dragon balls so we can find Gohan." Everyone's moods visibly brightened at this news and the plans were set to travel to Namek.

(Capsule Corp the next day)

By the time Krillin got Tien and Yamcha and arrived at Capsule Corp, Bulma had modified the ships gravity simulator originally only to ward off the effects of zero gravity, to exceed 100 times that of the Earth.

Krillin got a large bag of senzu beans from Korin, and the ship was stocked with supplies. Krillin, Bulma, Yamcha, and Tien said their goodbyes and they blasted off for Namek leaving behind a hysterical Chichi to await the revival of Goku. Little did they know of the horrible place young Gohan was on his way to.

(Medical Bay on Freeza's flagship)

"Where am I?" mumbled Gohan through the breathing mask on his face. He thought of pulling it off, but quickly discarded the idea when he noticed the frigid blue liquid surrounding him. He swung his arms experimentally and right as he did so the fluid began to drain. When the tank opened Gohan was greeted by the sight of a displeased looking lizard creature.

"The Saiyan child is awake my lord." The lizard spoke into the intercom on the wall, after handing Gohan a white jumpsuit. "Where am I?" Gohan asked again, no longer hindered by the mask. As the doctor was about to reply a shrill and vaguely effeminate voice called out through the intercom, "Dodoria is on his way to get it, don't let it leave the med bay until he arrives."

"Yes master Freeza as you wish." Gohan whom had been edging towards the door during the exchange then started to run towards it. Suddenly the door opened and a disgusting spike covered pink blob dressed in the same armor as Raditz emerged.

"Going somewhere?" It demanded. Gohan started to trembled and began to back away. The blob advanced towards him all the while smiling at him in a disgusting mass of yellow tombstone teeth. "You don't have to be scared little monkey. I only want to take you to lord Freeza, no one is going to hurt you now." Gohan in his naivety was quick to trust this new creature; after all he had met less than a dozen people in his short and sheltered existence.

"Where am I?" Gohan asked for a third time. "You are on the flagship of Lord Freeza, heir to the Cold Empire and your new master. Now no more questions, I am going to take you to Freeza immediately." Gohan only nodded his head in response, he was now thoroughly confused but maybe this Freeza character could clear it up.

He followed closely behind the blob down a cold metallic hallway with no windows. "By the way my name is Gohan what's yours?" Dodoria had no interest in the disgusting hair covered brat and snapped back, "I said no questions, now when we get to lord Freeza's throne room you are to bow before him and only speak when spoken to. Do I make myself clear brat?" Gohan was taken aback by the quick turn of the blob's attitude, all he had wanted to do was to make a friend and he was being yelled at and called names.

Dodoria heard the young Saiyan's sniveling and swiftly grabbed him by his head. "You will wait to cry until Freeza makes you cry to cry brat." He then dropped Gohan to the cold metal floor; he now doubted that weakling Raditz's claim that this child had any power hidden or otherwise. Dodoria gave the kid 24 hours until Freeza dispatched of his to be rid on one of the last remaining Saiyans. It was a wonder that Freeza had even allowed Raditz to land alive after eavesdropping on him and Vegeta converse about these so called dragon balls that the Namekian had let slip when he seemed to have the upper hand on Raditz. However the Saiyan had only been toying with the Namekian after eliminating the other warrior, and subsequently any chance of victory for the sentient plant.

Apparently the balls could grant their user any wish including bringing the dead back to life. Freeza's interest had been piqued by the balls and began to send orders to send in the Ginyu Force to secure them. However in the Namekian's dying breath he informed Raditz that with his death the dragon balls would cease to exist. Freeza had been disappointed by this news but had continued to monitor Raditz, it had a sneaking suspicion that he would communicate with Vegeta about the magical balls and the battle with the weaklings.

Sure enough Raditz had contacted Vegeta on his scouter and informed him of the incredible balls. Vegeta had been livid that he had not further interrogated the Namekian about the balls but Vegeta, being the treacherous little backstabber he was, had made plans with the weaker Saiyan to visit the Namekian home world in 4 years. It was a yearlong trip one way and Vegeta and his other lackey Nappa were on assignments for another 9 months, so Freeza would wait until Vegeta tried to make his move then squash him like a bug. Dodoria however was not really one to plan things out ahead of time, if he was in charge he would simply have sent a kill team after the Saiyan the second he heard wind of mutiny.

Dodoria had been absorbed in his thoughts too long and hadn't realized that the Saiyan was no longer trailing behind him. "Damn it you little brat where are you?" he yelled. Freeza was not particularly known for its patience, and if the toddler wasn't brought to it soon Dodoria would be making a trip to a regeneration tank himself.

Gohan was hiding in a dark closet down a side hall when he heard the pink blob storm past. Gohan had quickly decided that the blob didn't want to be friends, and besides based on the language he was using ChiChi wouldn't approve of him and Gohan spending time together. At the thought of his mother Gohan again began to cry this was the longest he had been away from home, and the longest he had been away from her.

Down the hall Dodoria was making a scene trying to find the hiding toddler. "Where the fuck are you filthy little monkey! When I find you I'm going to break both of your legs!"

A young male slave from the science department heard Dodoria's tantrum down the hall and waited until he passed to investigate. What he found was a young mammalian crawling out of a vent. Clearly the child was distraught and must have been what that pink oaf had been hollering about. "Hey there little guy are you alright?" He asked but as soon as Gohan saw the blue alien he turned around and run as fast as his tiny legs could carry him.

'My god a Saiyan child, I thought there weren't any females left,' He thought after seeing the child's tail. This discovery took precedence over his previous work, which was just to catalogue a series of cacti from a planet that was about to be purged to make room for a refueling station. "Calm down little one I'm not going to hurt you." At this reassurance Gohan stopped running away and slowly turned to the blue teenager that was following him.

"You promise you won't hurt me? That bad man that took me hurt me, and that pink guy was going to hurt me," Gohan whimpered.

"Oh you must mean Dodoria; he's one of Freeza's right hand men. I can't say I am too fond of him or Zarbon for that matter."

At the mention of Freeza Gohan visibly perked up, "I was supposed to go see him when that pink man scared me so I hid." When he heard Freeza's name the blue man became an even darker shade of blue. "You mean you have kept lord Freeza waiting! We have to get you too him right away," He said in a panic.

"Ok I was hoping that he could clear some things up for me anyway. My name is Gohan by the way." "No time for names right now we have to get you to Freeza before we get into trouble," was all he said in reply as he almost ran down the hall with Gohan in tow.

When they reached a large ornate door they stopped, and the blue alien composed himself a moment before pressing a button on the wall and requesting entrance. As they entered the room Gohan was struck by how cold it was. All he had on was a white jumpsuit since waking up in the tank and the cold was almost painful. The next thing he noticed was the smell, it smelled metallic and sickly sweet, a smell he would soon come to know as fresh blood.

"Ah the guest of honor has arrived; see I told you he would find his way here Dodoria, didn't I?" When he heard the voice Gohan froze it was the same one from the intercom earlier, only in person it was very different. It sounded like a ship hitting an ice burg, rusty nails on a chalk board, and something intangible and terrifying.

"Well don't just stand there come in, and close the door you'll let the cold out," it crooned and Gohan felt razors climb up his spine and into his ears. "I see you've made a friend, is that why you were so late?" It asked.

"No! No! I would never have kept you waiting if I had known the child was wanted in your chamber," the blue alien quickly retorted.

"It's really no big deal I wasn't kept that long. By the way what do you do aboard my ship?" Freeza asked. A tall turquoise man with a long braid and golden glowing eyes answered for the blue skinned boy, "I believe he is one of the Nijinn'ei, a race of intelligent weaklings we recruited as scientists." "Oh is that so, so we really don't need you here any longer then. Run along little Nijinn'ei back to your labs," Freeza said.

The blue skinned alien turned and began to walk out, when faster than Gohan could see Freeza appeared in front of him and ripped his trachea out of his neck. The boy was dead before he hit the ground and faster that Gohan's eyes or brain could process Freeza was upon him. It grabbed him by his head and applied an ungodly amount of pressure to his temples.

"Tell me Saiyan trash who do you think is in charge here," Freeza asked in a calm voice despite the vice it had on Gohan's head.

All Gohan did was gargle in response, the pain was too great even to scream in response.

"I am in charge here." It then carried Gohan by his head to a large decorated porthole. "I could crush your skull and send you into the vacuum of space faster than you could blink your primitive little eyes." Gohan didn't know pain like this could exist; he was just about to pass out when the monster released him from its talons. It left three holes in either side of his head all the way to the bone and dark red blood seeped from the wounds in a steady flow.

"Oh we're not finished yet brat. I want to see this power Raditz claims you have," it then strolled over to its throne and licked its claws clean from the child's blood. "Zarbon will you fetch my tools, and Dodoria will you get Raditz I believe he's down in the lower levels with the other trash and whores." "Yes my lord" they said in unison.

Once they had left Freeza once again addressed Gohan, who was curled up in a ball in the corner. "I detest you lower life forms and your sexual reproduction, however it is an amazing mechanism for controlling your kind, epically the males. Who knows if you don't prove yourself worthy of being a purger instead of killing you I can cast you down with the sodomites? Of course you Saiyans do tend to be excellent soldiers, no matter how hideous you are. Perhaps I can turn you into an obedient servant, unlike that prince of yours, always disobeying me. Well I guess we'll just have to train you more thoroughly. Oh looks like Zarbon and Dodoria have returned."

During its speech Gohan had lost a lot of blood and was on the verge of unconsciousness until the turquoise man returned with a large silver case in hand and gave it to Freeza. It then opened the case and removed a large syringe from it. As Freeza approached him Gohan tried to escape but he was too weak and barley moved a foot before Freeza had him pinned to the ground with its three toed foot. As the needle entered his neck Gohan instantly felt its effects. At once Gohan was more awake, in fact he felt like he was on fire. The wounds on his temples stopped bleeding but they weren't healed, in fact they hurt immeasurably more than before. Gohan tried to scream out in pain but his lungs and mouth felt like they were filled with cotton. He tried to move but all of his muscles cramped and wriggled like snakes under his skin.

"You like it?" Freeza asked. "It was designed for mammals, more specifically it was designed for Vegeta" Freeza sneered. "It will keep you awake and in pain indefinitely, until I supply the antidote. It also keeps you alive by making sure you don't lose too much blood. We wouldn't you to bleed out before the real fun begins now would we?" Freeza then turned back to the case and removed a whip that was about as big around as a hair. "Chain him to the wall," Freeza ordered.

Zarbon grabbed Gohan by his shoulder and the coolness of his skin felt like a blade piercing through his whole body. The icy chains were even worse. His wrists were too thin so they had to be fastened on his biceps. Whatever he had been injected with was a cocktail of evil and nightmares tearing at his body and mind. As Freeza approached Gohan began to sweat bullets, the whip looked sharp and it had started to glow. "Now Raditz explain this hidden power you claim this little whelp possesses". Freeza ordered then cracked its whip for emphasis.

"When I had his father close to death the boy snapped and attacked. His power level skyrocketed for a moment and he caused me more damage than his pathetic father and his ally combined. However it was only for a brief moment and he still wasn't very strong," Raditz explained. "My lord, if I may be so bold," Zarbon interrupted, "His power increase may have been emotionally triggered." "I realized that already, now we just have to recreate the emotions to see if the power is real or if it's just another silly monkey legend."

After that it was all a blur of pain and laughter to Gohan. The whip was hot and it lacerated his back badly then burned the wounds closed. The serum was the only thing keeping him conscious and even that had started to fail. His blood was starting to form a growing pool around him and Freeza realized that their game would have to be cut short if he wanted his new toy to live.

"You are dismissed Raditz. I do hope this child is a little tougher next time, he wasn't nearly as much fun as Vegeta used to be." Freeza then administered the antidote to the torture serum and sleep overcame Gohan almost instantly.

"Give the brat a half stay in a regeneration tank, and then send him to an isolation chamber with no food for a week. In fact put him in with a weaker slave and see how long the brat takes to eat his cell mate." Freeza ordered and Dodoria snickered. That would teach the brat to try and give him the slip.

In the regeneration tank Gohan dreamed of his mother's cooking, and prayed to be rescued soon. However this was only his first day in servitude to the Cold Empire.

AN- R&R any tips or constructive criticism are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

AN- Thanks to millionair000 your review was just enough for me to post this second chapter. I appreciate your criticism of my grammar, and I will try to be more thorough in my proof reading from now on. I wrote that first chapter on an iPod touch but after reading it I realized that I really should have typed it on a computer. Also I am referring to Freeza as it instead of a he/she because Freeza strikes me an asexual sort of amphibian.

Chapter 2- Isolation

(Med Bay)

Gohan once again awoke in a regeneration chamber, a sensation he would soon be intimately familiar with. However this time was different, instead of a clear blue like his first time, the fluid was an opaque purple. Gohan's back was still in a great deal of pain, but it wasn't as severe as it had been when the gashes were fresh.

The tank then began to drain and Gohan was met with the same creature as in his previous visit. This time Gohan was a bit more wary of any thing on this ship. So far all he had seen since he had been aboard was death and pain, and everyone he had met had either been hostile or had died quickly. His thoughts drifted to the blue skinned alien and Gohan felt like throwing up. It was his first sight of a gruesome killing and he didn't quite know how to handle what he had seen.

When the tank fully opened the lizard once more tossed Gohan a jumpsuit, and as he was putting it on the door in the far side of the room opened revealing the turquoise man from Freeza's chambers. When Gohan saw him he immediately began to shake with uncontrollable fear.

Zarbon chuckled when he saw how much fear he inspired in the Saiyan child. He delighted in not only being one of the best looking in the army but also one of the most feared and respected. He was Freeza's right hand men after all. He saw his reflection in a chrome bowl for catching blood during surgeries and noticed some lines in his forehead, he always tried to keep his expressions as passive as possible to ward off lines and wrinkles but they were forming anyway. 'I guess I'll have to get a face lift again,' he thought, 'Oh no I'm starting to run low on creds. Now I have to borrow more from that pig Dodoria. Hideous freak needs to get some surgery himself, and some exfoliate'. Gohan watched the turquoise man stare at his own reflection for several moments before he started to look for a place to hide. Maybe if he was quite enough he would keep staring at himself and he could give him the slip. Then Gohan remembered his punishment for hiding last time and dispelled any thoughts of escape.

When Zarbon finally snapped back to reality his mood had soured considerably. All those thoughts of ugliness had left a foul taste in his mouth and causing some pain was the only way to remove it. He then remembered his mission and set his sights back on the trembling child before him. He was to take him, half healed, to an isolation chamber. Freeza had ordered for the Saiyan not to be fed, and they all knew of their kinds voracious appetites.

Freeza had then ordered for a lower level slave to be put in the chamber with the Saiyan in an effort to see how long it took the child to eat it. Freeza had been delighted to learn that the child had been raised peacefully, and had made it a game to see what it would take to make it into a cold hearted murderer. Vegeta had been all too easy to turn because he had grown up in their culture of death and violence, and many of his other pets had been brought to him already heartless killers. It was not often that it got an innocent to play with.

"Follow me brat," Zarbon commanded. When the child only continued to tremble he phased behind it and painfully slashed the back of his jumpsuit, revealing the angry and still partially opened lashes from Freeza's whip.

Gohan fell forward and began to cry. The wounds on his back was once again bleeding and now they were back to being as painful as before. Zarbon then hoisted him to his feet and carried him down the hallway by the scruff of his neck. Zarbon was less than gentle and Gohan tried to break his grip but his hands were tiny and Zarbon's fingers were made of steel. "You have lost the right to walk on your own. You better be more respectful in the future and follow orders you little piece of shit," Zarbon spat.

After going down a flight of stairs and several long halls lined with doors marked with strand signs, they came to a stop. Zarbon then opened the door in front of them and tossed Gohan in. "Have a good time," he yelled after him before closing the door and walking away.

Gohan stood up and took in is surroundings. He was in a plain white room with no furniture or windows. There was a single light built into the ceiling and a camera in the corner to capture the whole room. Gohan turned around and noticed in the corner sat another child. It had sparse feathers, short legs, long forward jutting arms, and a small long head. It appeared very scared and was making a very faint and high pitched whining sound.

"Hey there, are you alright?" He asked it. But all he got in response was more whimpers and the creature sank further into the corner. Gohan decided not to bother it any more, in case it was mean like the rest of the people he had met. He settled into the corner opposite it so he could watch it and make sure it didn't come at him, but he soon drifted off to sleep.

Gohan was awoken several hours later by the growling of his stomach. He thought back to the last time he had eaten, and realized he didn't know how long he had been away from home. Gohan began to cry again and continued to do so until the gentle arms of sleep once again claimed him.

He dreamed that he was back at home. He was on the front porch and he heard his mother scream. He then rushed inside only to trip over the bloodied corpses of his mother and father. Freeza stood in the corner laughing.

"You belong to me boy. Not even your father can save you," it hollered. It then phased in front of Gohan and tore his head off. Gohan woke up screaming this time, but stopped when he realized where he was. He was covered in a cold sweat and the temperature had begun to drop. His whip wounds were starting to smell and bits of his jumpsuit had stuck to them.

He had no idea how long he had been in the cell but it felt like forever. Every time he tried to fall asleep his nightmare kept him awake, and the he was worried about being attacked by the creature in the corner. So he just paced back and forth along the far wall for hours, until exhaustion finally overcame him.

Time was becoming a blur, and Gohan was losing his connection with reality. He had a high fever because of an infection in his back and he was starving. His Saiyan side was starting to take over to keep him alive and he was having hallucinations about food. More than once he found himself staring at his cell mate hungrily until he would once again become lucid and be disgusted with himself.

The creature had fallen asleep and Gohan had unconsciously wandered over to it. He was startled to find himself sniffing it and finding its smell appealing. When he had been younger his mother had often yelled at him and his father for eating scraps of raw meat and his cellmate smelled like a fresh goose.

'No I can't be thinking like this. I can't kill someone for food, no matter how hungry I am,' he thought. Frighteningly someone replied in his fever stricken brain. 'What does it matter if you eat it, no one will miss it,' said a deep voice in his thoughts. "I must be losing my mind," he said to himself as he walked back to his corner.

(Freeza's throne room)

"Well, well, well, it looks like the little monkey is reaching his breaking point. And to think I was worried it would starve to death," Freeza cackled. "This one lasted much longer than Vegeta would have at the same age, I do hope he eats it soon though I am almost out wine," it added.

"I shall fetch some more at once my lord," an alien resembling a catfish announced. It had been four days since the Saiyan had been put in isolation, and Freeza had almost drunk the ship dry. Soon they would need to land for more.

"My lord if I may?" Zarbon asked, "I think that increasing the temperature of the cell could cause the monkey to snap. If nothing else it would make this a little more exciting."

"I find it exciting enough as it is, but, if you must increase the temperature to 320," Freeza responded.

(Isolation Cell)

Gohan was losing his last threads of sanity. The temperature must have been over 110 degrees and he was on the verge of dehydration. To make matters worse the wound on his back was rancid and thick black puss was leaking from it. He had been at least a week without food and his cellmate was looking more and more delicious by the minute.

It hadn't moved or made a sound for quite some time and Gohan was sure the heat had killed it, birds couldn't sweet and it was like an oven in the cell. After some contemplation Gohan settled that he would have to eat it. He stalked over to it and tried to decide how to go about opening it up. He finally just settled to rip its head off and pull its skin down.

Gohan wasn't sure he had the strength to do to so he tried to go as quick as possible. He grabbed its head and yanked hard. Its eyes flew opened and it screamed. Gohan had been wrong it was still very much alive and it had no intention of dying. It shot up and stood on its short legs while making a sound similar to a rooster.

Gohan tried to back away but the alien ran at him and slashed at him with its long arms and clawed hands. It grabbed his forehead and tore long gashes down his face. Gohan reacted on instinct and once again grabbed its head and sharply twisted to the side, snapping its neck and killing it instantly.

Gohan's rational side had shut down and the Saiyan was in control. He tore into the bird and devoured huge bites of it, drank its blood, and ripped its flesh from its bones. Gohan's eyes had gone white and he began howling and pounding on the walls, trying to escape his prison.

Suddenly a vent in the ceiling opened and yellow gas rapidly spilled into the room. In seconds Gohan was unconscious. Then the door opened and Zarbon dragged his emaciated body back to the med bay.

(Freeza's throne room)

Freeza had shattered its wine glass in its hand when he saw the power spike on the screen. It wouldn't have believed it if it hadn't have seen it with its own two eyes. When the child snapped its power skyrocketed unbelievably high for a Saiyan child. Freeza had sent Zarbon to subdue the child and take it to be cleaned up. Maybe that fool Raditz had done something right and the child would be of use. Yes when properly broken the Saiyan would be a great killing machine at Freeza's disposal.

Review and respond I have several more chapters written and am ready to post them within the next few days. Please tell me of any problems you have and if you like it spread the word.


	3. Chapter 3

AN- Thanks to peanut butter and frozen strawberries of horror for their reviews. I'm going to do about an update a day, maybe more over the next week. Also Goku and the other Z fighters will be in the next chapter but they will only play a small part until later.

Chapter 3- Reprogramming

(Med Bay)

When Gohan woke up for the third, but not the last, time in a regeneration chamber he was a wreck. His mind was in shambles and his high Saiyan metabolism had caused his muscles to atrophy. He was barely able to climb out of the tank and couldn't walk without assistance.

Zarbon had been ordered to take the child and a doctor to the Saiyan's new room. He was to then wait hand and foot on the two until the brat was healthy enough to begin training. Freeza had broken countless slaves' wills using the same method, but Freeza had decided that this was its new favorite play toy and deserved the finest medical treatment until it could be used again.

Gohan's head was spinning as he was carried, surprisingly gently this time, down a hall and towards his new quarters. When they arrived Gohan was set down on an elevated metal block that couldn't qualify as a bed, then the doctor from the med bay came in and sedated him. After Gohan was unconscious the doctor gave him an IV containing all the nutrients he would need with no risk of refeeding syndrome.

The Doctor was taking every precaution when taking care of the young Saiyan. Freeza had shown a special interest in this one, much like Vegeta in his youth. That thought scared him, the possibility of another Vegeta running around the ship. He always been afraid that Vegeta would kill him after he was done being treated and he felt that he had been lucky to survive Vegeta's many trips to the medical bay. He prayed that he was so lucky after this kid had been groomed into a killing machine.

(Gohan's Quarters Next week)

Gohan awoke rested and comfortable for the first time in recent memory. He was a little uncomfortable due to the hard slab he had slept on but physically had no problems other than that. Mentally, on the other hand, he was a wreck.

He had been in a drug induced coma for the last week and tit had been hell. He had nightmare after nightmare and he couldn't wake up. He saw the creature that had been in the cell with him over and over again. He heard the sound of the bones in its neck shattering, felt its arteries tear, and saw the fear of death on its face. But the most haunting things were its eyes. Watching the life fade from them was stuck on replay in his mind, with a laugh track of Freeza playing over it that felt like nails being pounded into his ears.

Gohan would do anything to get the images out of his head. When he had killed the creature it was like he wasn't inside his body. He had watched the whole thing but had no control of himself. Gohan vowed never to lose control like that again he never wanted to kill anyone and would rather die than commit any act resembling violence like that.

Gohan slowly got off the slab and stretched his underused limbs. He then took in his surroundings and was pleasantly surprised. The room was rather large for him; he had lived in a tiny cottage for most of his short life and his new quarters were larger than his old living room. When Gohan thought of home he had to swallow more tears. When he was in that prison cell he had decided to not give them the pleasure of seeing him cry.

Gohan saw three doors in his room. One of them had a security pad on it and he decided to investigate the others first. Behind one door he found a bathroom. There was no sink; it only had a shower with a sloped floor and a hole in the corner. The hole was clearly the toilet and there were smaller holes all over the walls that Gohan figured were where the water would come from. Gohan didn't see a knob to turn the water on but he did see foot shaped outlines in the floor and when he stepped on them the water turned on. It was hot, almost too hot, but relaxed his cramped muscles and the pain kept his mind off what he had done.

After about two minutes the water shut off and cold air quickly dried him off. After leaving the bathroom he went to investigate the other door. Behind it he found a large closet with nothing in it except tiny spandex body suits and one of the eye pieces that all of the warriors on the ship seemed to have. Gohan got dressed but left the eyepiece where it was, he didn't wasn't anything to do with a symbol of Freeza's army. Suddenly the third door opened and Dodoria strolled in.

"Come on brat, Freeza wants to see you now that you are back on your feet", Dodoria ordered. Gohan was afraid but put on a brave front and began to follow Dodoria out the door when he was stopped. "Grab your scouter you're going to train me and Zarbon later". Dodoria laughed out loud when he saw the color drain from Gohan's face at the threat of training with the two.

Gohan grabbed the scouter and quickly followed the pink crustacean down the hall. He dreaded seeing the evil genderless freak, but decided that he would face it head on and take whatever torture he had in store in stride. What Gohan didn't know was that he was playing right into Freeza's talon by deciding to participate in its mind games.

As they entered the tyrants throne room Gohan was assaulted by a sudden wave of fear and nausea. Freeza instantly noticed Gohan's reaction and smirked. It loved it's when slaves displayed their hatred, Freeza thrived on negative emotions they were like a delicious treat and Freeza was addicted.

Freeza realized that the young Saiyan wasn't very powerful yet, but it knew about their kind's uncanny ability to become stronger after near death experiences. So in order to make the child strong enough to be of any use he would be toughed up by Zarbon and Dodoria, and then sent to purge a planet of uncivilized weaklings. Of course the Saiyan would need to become a willing killer between now and then but that wouldn't be too big a challenge, their kind was naturally blood thirsty and this child was on its way to being an unstable psychopath.

"Hello Gohan I am so very sorry about our previous encounter. I had been in a bad mood because I found out that some of my men have decided to try and assassinate me. Of course it's impossible to kill me but it upset me none the less. But I digress, I trust your new quarters are adequate", it asked.

Gohan was confused Freeza was not the same as before. The alien seemed almost pleasant now. Gohan knew that it was just a rouse and kept his guard up. "They're fine", was all Gohan replied.

"Ah excellent consider them your new home. Now to the matter at hand, you are to spend the day training with Zarbon. He is already waiting for you in the training chamber", Freeza said with a disgusting smile on its face. Gohan was terrified of training with Zarbon but the idea of another whipping scared him even more.

"Oh and from now on you are to bow when in my presence and address me as Lord Freeza. Do I make myself clear"? Gohan bit back his pride and bowed to the tyrant. "Yes lord Freeza", he said through clenched teeth. "Be gone then little monkey, and have a good time with Zarbon".

Gohan could hear Freeza laughing like a madman as he made his way down the hall. The scouter he wore hung awkwardly on his face, but it showed him the way to the chamber nonetheless.

As Gohan walked down the hall he noticed he was getting some strange looks from some of the men aboard. He tried to ignore them but some of more frightening aliens were starting to get to him. He started walking faster and then almost broke into a run. When Gohan rounded the corner he ran straight into a short four eyed little green alien.

"What the fuck! You little shit you spilled my drink you'll pay for that", it yelled. Gohan quickly stood up and assessed the situation. He saw several other aliens behind the one he ran into, the short green one wasn't very impressive but the others appeared quite threatening. "I'm sorry it was an accident", Gohan quickly responded.

"Would you look at that the Saiyans are multiplying", the tall blue one hissed. "Yeah Burter, looks like Vegeta's been busy", the short red one joked. "Look how weak it is, its power level is barely 200", the huge one with orange hair laughed. "Even Guldo could take it without his powers". At that the whole group broke out laughing, except the short green one.

Guldo was furious; this little Saiyan brat had spilled his drink and humiliated him in front of the Ginyu squad. "I'll kill you, you pathetic meat bag", he screeched as he charged a deadly Ki ball.

"Stop Guldo, Freeza wants this one alive, for now". Gohan had never been happy to see Zarbon before in his life. He must have come looking for him when he was late to the training session. "We'll finish this later Saiyan trash", Guldo threatened.

Gohan didn't think much of the short green toad but Freeza didn't look impressive that impressive either, so he would keep on his toes when near him. "Thanks for saving me Zarbon", Gohan said.

"Oh please, you're going to wish I had let Guldo kill you after I'm done with you", Zarbon sneered. Gohan then remembered why he was going to see Zarbon in the first place and a familiar feeling of fear and hatred settled in his gut.

When they reached the large metal doors Gohan was practically shaking, he didn't know exactly the training session would consist of but he was sure pain would be weaved into it. He didn't know how right he was.

As soon as the door was closed Zarbon was on him. Gohan didn't know the first thing about self defense. His mother had fancied him a scholar and had yelled at Goku any time he tried to train him. So it wasn't really a fight, it was a beating.

Zarbon grabbed his arm and squeezed, turning Gohan's elbow into bone paste. His arm fell limp and would have come off had Zarbon squeezed any harder. Zarbon then backhanded Gohan's face shattering his scouter, and sending plastic and bone fragments into his eye. Zarbon wasn't even using any Ki and Gohan was already almost dead. So he hit Gohan in the gut and then stopped to look at his handiwork.

It had taken less that five seconds and Gohan was already near enough to death to give his power quite a boost when he healed, just what Freeza wanted. "My lord I think this is all the child can take. Shall I take him to the med bay now"? Zarbon asked into his scouter.

"Yes splendid job Zarbon I believe this should build a strong foundation for his actual training. Take your time on the way to the regeneration tank; give the monkeys body some time to repair itself." Freeza ordered. 'With any luck this little brat will die on the way back', Zarbon chuckled to himself at that thought. Then he realized that if the child died Freeza would punish him severely. Zarbon grabbed Gohan's shattered body and started for the med bay.

(Med Bay)

Gohan was coming to on a slab in the med bay. Standing over him were the doctor and Zarbon. "The child is healing fine, however the eye is not. I'm afraid it'll have to go". The doctor said. When Gohan heard this he tried to sit up but found himself unable to move a muscle. It was like he was frozen in place, with Zarbon and the doctor discussing how to deal with the eye. They decided to just cut it out and replace it with a cloned one.

If Gohan could have moved he would have been thrashing like a fish out of water when the doctor descended upon him with the scalpel. There was no precision in his movements. The doctor just scraped away with the scalpel and when it was scrambled like and egg, he scraped it out with a spoon. Gohan felt every movement but his body couldn't even twitch. This was as bad as the whipping and he could feel the cold metal hitting the back of his eye socket and it made him nauseous.

After the eye was removed the doctor another was set into the socket. After the surgery Gohan was put back into the regeneration chamber to finish healing, and to attach the optic nerve. As he sat in the cold blue fluid he realized he would have to fight back if he planned on surviving very long. He wasn't very strong now but he would follow in his father's footsteps, and he would kill that bastard Freeza.

AN- Here's today's update review and respond, I will post tomorrows at about the same time.


	4. Chapter 4

AN- Thanks to FloatingCow, peanut butter and frozen strawberries of horror for your reviews, anybody else? After reading through my first three posted chapters I can honestly say I am not happy with the work. I posted them hot off the presses and left quite a few errors. I have found that a few eyesores in the first page can cause me to abandon a story before I even get to the real plot or character development. I apologize for my haste and am rereading and editing my first eight written chapters. Feel free to private message me or write a review with any complaints or pointers. I might be being a little too meticulous but this is my first story and I am a bit of a perfectionist. If anyone would like to be my beta reader please pm me and we can discuss the specifics of working together on this story and depending on its success others in the future.

Chapter 4-A day in the life

(Gohan's Room)

Gohan had survived nine training sessions in the last two weeks and his strength had grown by leaps and bounds. Zarbon and Dodoria had long since grown bored with beating someone that couldn't fight back to a pulp and had had sent some weaker lackeys do their dirty work for them. Gohan didn't know it but his power level was fast approaching that of Raditz.

The lower level soldiers that were training Gohan weren't nearly as strong as Freeza's two top men. During Gohan's first few sessions with them he had been badly beaten, but now he was able to hold them off for some time before he couldn't fight back anymore. He had copied the techniques that he had seen his father practice or that had been used on him and fought on instinct. He fired his first Ki blast when a soldier had him in a choke hold and he was about to pass out. It wasn't very powerful but he had gotten the hold loose enough to wriggle out from and had escaped unconsciousness during that session. He flew for the first time when he had been thrown at high speed across the chamber at the hard metal wall, saving himself from getting a broken neck.

The time he had spent in his room or in the med bay Gohan used to plot and fantasizing about Freeza's end. He knew that he wasn't nearly strong enough now, but when he was Freeza would be killed slowly and painfully, it would be glorious. His entire world revolved around this goal now, gone was the carefree earthling and with the recycled clay a hardened Saiyan warrior was crafted.

Other than training, eating had become Gohan's least favorite activity aboard the ship. The men ate twice a day in a huge mess hall with seats assigned by power levels and Freeza's favor. Gohan sat at the second to the weakest table with the foot soldiers. At the weakest table sat the scientists and servants. Freeza didn't eat in public so at the highest level sat Zarbon, Dodoria, and the Ginyu force. The atmosphere of the room was tense and the paranoia of the residents on the ship was increased tenfold. The only people that seemed to enjoy it were the Ginyu's, whom laughed and joked while the others sat in silence warily eyeing each other and waiting for signs of attack. Once Gohan saw a soldier accidently brush his elbow against Recoome, which caused the orange haired giant to tear the man's head off and returned to his meal.

The food was served by a machine with a long tube that knew each soldier's requirements based on species and rank. Gohan was served a thick grey nutrient paste that tasted like chalk and lard. He hated it but after training he was famished, so he ate as quickly as possible, tried not to puke and then quickly returned to his room.

(King Kai's planet)

Goku had been training like a madman. He had never thought himself to be very serious; he had always been fairly carefree. But after the reality of the situation fully hit him he was like a man possessed, refusing all but the bare minimum food and water to stay alive and never resting for more than an hour or two. The event that awakened him from his complacent attitude towards Gohan's kidnapping was the fact that King Kai couldn't find his energy, and when he finally did it was surrounded by the fiercest and most ruthless warriors in the galaxy. Goku had immediately thrown himself into his training with drastically increased vigor.

King Kai had been impressed at first, but now he was just worried. Goku had been at it for 3 weeks, and more than once he had been forced to remind Goku that if he died here his soul would be erased. Goku would barely acknowledge the information then he would continue to his training. The only breaks he would take were for a few hours of sleep, some food and water, and to check up on his wife Chichi.

(Far side of King Kai's planet)

Piccolo was frustrated. He wasn't making the progress he wanted in his training and Goku's power level was exploding. He was training just as hard as the Saiyan but he had reached a plateau. His body simply wouldn't allow him to become more powerful. His spars with Goku had become more and more one sided. When Raditz had killed them they had been neck and neck, when they fought there was about a 50/50 chance for Piccolo to emerge victorious, but now Goku almost seemed bored when they sparred.

In his anger Piccolo had unconsciously raised his Ki to its max. Goku didn't notice, he was too busy mastering the Kaioken to care what Piccolo was doing. King Kai, however, did notice. He may have seemed a little scatterbrained at times, but you don't get to be the guardian of a galaxy by lacking perception.

"What is the meaning of this," King Kai yelled upon discovering the huge crater Piccolo had created with his power up. "First Goku eats me out of house and home, and now you destroy half my planet! Now give me a good excuse fast or you can go stay in HFIL until you're wished back."

"I blew up your yard because I can't stand your training anymore. I'm not getting any stronger and that fool Goku isn't even following your routine any more!" Piccolo had gotten louder and louder until he was yelling at the top of his lungs. Goku stopped his Kata and phased over to Piccolo and King Kai's location at the opposite pole of the tiny planet.

King Kai had seen this coming and had prepared for this situation extensively. "Reaching a Plateau was inevitable but I have a way around it." He said in a more controlled tone trying to defuse the situation. "Ok, spit it out then, how am I supposed to become more powerful if my body has reached its limit?"

"We need to make a trip to the planet of the Kais; there is someone you need to meet Piccolo. You too Goku, a training break could do you some good." King Kai said. "Ok, but can we eat first? I'm starving." Goku whined.

"Well if you're hungry you can always make like a clock and go back four seconds!" King Kai yelled. Piccolo growled in annoyance, Goku scratched his head in confusion, and King Kai rolled on the ground laughing and yelling about how he was the greatest master of comedy in the universe.

(Capsule Ship 001)

Tensions were high on board Bulma's ship, and it wasn't because they were hurtling towards what could possibly be all of their deaths. Bulma and Yamcha had broken up and the screams of rage from Bulma could be heard even in the air tight training room. Bulma's father had installed a video conference room so those aboard could communicate with their loved ones, and Bulma had walked in on Yamcha in the middle of an intense 'chat' with a well endowed blond women. Needless to say the TV screen was now unusable, as were Yamcha's nether regions.

Krillin had found the whole situation amusing and had been injured in a similar fashion to Yamcha after declaring the punishment comical. Tien however was annoyed by the antics of the ex-couple and was less than enthused to have to train alone until their man parts healed.

Not like it mattered anyway he had already pulled ahead of Yamcha significantly, and was widening the gap between himself and Krillin. He had always taken his training seriously but when King Kai contacted them and informed them of Gohan's predicament, and Goku's gains in strength he too had redoubled his efforts. He didn't care if Goku was a super powerful alien he wouldn't be shown up or useless in a fight. Ineptitude was one of the few things he feared, well that and Launch during allergy season.

(Gohan's Room)

Gohan was taking a nap after a particularly harsh training session when he was awakened by the sound of the security lock on his door opening. He had been conditioned to wake up as soon as he heard it, because it usually indicated a visit from Zarbon or Dodoria. This time it was both of them, and the smiles on their faces greatly disturbed Gohan for some reason.

"Get up brat; it's time to go on your first purge." Zarbon sneered. Gohan's face went a ghostly white and Dodoria's smile widened displaying his disgusting orange teeth.

In its throne room Freeza was laughing like a maniac and indulging in a glass of the finest wine. It pleased Freeza to no end that the poor little monkey would soon be off on another planet with a few other men losing his innocence.

Freeza had made sure the purge wouldn't be too much for the child to handle, but he would still be forced to kill to survive. In Freeza's experience Saiyans had a strong survival instinct and if forced to kill or be killed even their children would slay countless others to stay alive.

As a precaution Freeza had arranged for Cui to watch over the Saiyan and make sure he participated in the purge. Cui was known as ruthless warrior and Freeza trusted him to 'encourage' the child to kill. Another one of Cui's quirks that delighted Freeza was his voracious sexual appetite; the fish faced alien was known to take entire villages full of women. And while it detested anything with sex organs it couldn't wait to see what the effects Cui's mentorship would have on young Gohan.

AN- I know this chapter was short mostly filler, but it's a setup for three longer chapters. Tomorrow's chapter title Gohan's First Purge. And sorry for the delay on posting this but it wouldn't upload for some reason.

Don't worry the Cui scene isn't graphic, but the violence is. Spoiler alert Gohan will end him! R&R and like I said I'm looking for a beta reader so PM me if your interested. If you are I would like to read a passage or two that you have written just to be safe.


	5. Chapter 5

AN- Thanks to peanut butter and frozen strawberries of horror for your reviews. Fair warning this chapter is pretty violent, and like I said in the previous chapter there is a rape scene but no details I'm not that screwed up. R&R

Chapter 5- Gohan's First Purge

When he was sent Gohan had been terrified of going on the purge but now he was excited. Not at the prospect of killing innocents, at a chance for escape. Gohan just hoped he was the most powerful one sent so no one could stop him when he left.

When he checked his scouter his hopes for escape were quickly dashed. He was stronger than four of the other warriors, but the fifth came in at 19,500. Gohan's power level was over 9,000 making him one of the stronger fighters in Freeza's army but whoever Freeza had sent to watch him could easily defeat him.

Gohan realized escape wasn't an option so he settled to simply not kill anyone. It didn't matter if he was punished, he wouldn't take a single life. He could handle the pain of torture, but his first kill would haunt him forever. He hadn't been in control of his body but he still remembered the feeling of the slave's neck breaking with just a flick of his wrist. Gohan pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind and tried to get some rest in the two hour trip to the planet.

(Planet's Atmosphere)

Gohan awoke with a start when the atmosphere violently jarred his pod. He braced himself for the impact of landing but it never came. The landing had been so smooth that he barely noticed it had happened. When the door opened the hot air assaulted him and he instantly knew it was a desert planet.

He levitated out of the crater to take in his surroundings and all he saw were dunes. 'Why would someone pay for this place?' He thought. Then it hit him this planet had no value, that monster Freeza had organized this whole thing to force him to consciously take a life.

Gohan looked back to his pod for a chance at escape and saw Cui standing beside the crater smirking. Suddenly the bastard launched a large Ki blast into the crater and destroyed his pod. "No!" Gohan yelled, but it was too late the pod was gone and he was stuck on the planet until another was sent.

"I'm assuming your tiny monkey brain can't comprehend the situation so I'll spell it out for you. If you don't kill ten people lord Freeza has instructed me to break your arms and legs and leave you in the dessert." He laughed. Gohan was stuck he there was nothing he could do to escape.

"Don't worry though this planet is all warriors, you won't have to kill women and children." Gohan was slightly comforted by this and resolved to slay ten of the warriors. He reasoned that if he died here no one would kill Freeza.

Cui commanded him and the rest of the men to seek out the highest power levels and go to them. Gohan went for the strongest group, but none of them broke 3,000. He wasn't looking forward to this but his mission to kill was too important. He was already going to hell anyway.

(During the Battle)

At first Gohan had been disgusted with the killing but now he was trying as hard as he could to not enjoy the fighting. Battle was in his blood and training had been his only activity in some time. The man he was fighting was the strongest on the planet and Gohan was making minced meat of him. The warrior had killed three of Freeza's henchmen when they underestimated him, but Gohan didn't care about their deaths only his own survival. Gohan killed his first eight and this was the last fighter on the planet. He decided not to drag it out any longer and painlessly ended the man's life. Gohan was sure he would burn in hell for this but all he cared about was ending the cold family's reign of terror in the galaxy.

Gohan checked his scouter and realized to his horror some of the remaining inhabitants of the sparsely populated planet had been gathered at Cui's location. As he sped back to the pods he realized that the remaining lower level soldier was bringing two more people to Cui. Gohan flew to intercept him and see what he was doing.

Gohan reached him about twenty miles before he got to Cui and what he found disgusted him. The soldier had a woman on each arm and was drenched in blood. Both of the women were knocked out and also covered in blood. Gohan fired a Ki blast through the man's chest and caught the women before they reached the ground. He checked that they were unhurt then rocketed off as fast as he could to stop Cui.

The caustic smell of smoke and burning flesh reached his nostrils and caused him to gag. He could hear the screams of a woman from quite some distance and sped up past his max. When he got there what he saw was unbelievable, Cui was taking a woman against her will and there was a pile on dead bodies burning about fifty feet in front of him.

Gohan's brain shut down. His eyes filled with red and his power skyrocketed. His Hair stood straight up and his muscle mass dramatically increased. Cui heard him land behind him and laughed," Brought me some more ah. This ones used up anyway." He then snapped the girl's neck and threw her on the fire. Cui turned around eager to get the next woman pinned beneath him, but what he got was a powerful fist to his jaw.

Cui went flying towards a sand dune but quickly corrected himself. He turned expecting to see one of the lizard people of the desert planet but what he saw startled him even more. It was the Saiyan brat, but its hair was different and his eyes had no pupils.

"You little shit what do your think your doing?" he yelled. Gohan just growled and launched himself at Cui so fast the fish like alien couldn't see him. His fist connected with Cui's stomach and he felt ribs crack under the pressure. Cui gagged then retaliated. He kicked the Saiyan in the face and sent him flying. He wasn't sure how the child got this new power but he wouldn't be killed by some monkey trash. Cui knew Freeza would punish him for killing its toy but he didn't care. He launched a barrage of Ki blasts at the dune the child had crashed into. After the smoke and dust had cleared Cui was sure the child was dead. The dune was gone and there were chunks of black glass that had been formed by the blasts heat scattered about.

Cui let his guard down and turned back to the pods to check them for damage when a ball of Ki hit him in the back. It knocked the wind out of him and before he could recover the Saiyan was upon him once again. Gohan displayed no skill but he more than made up for it in raw strength and viciousness. He pounded Cui until he coughed up blood and his eyes bugged unnaturally out of his head.

Cui was sure the Saiyan would kill him if he didn't do something fast, so he did the only thing he could think of. Cui grabbed a handful of sand and threw it into Gohan's eyes. Gohan stopped smashing Cui's chest into itself long enough for him to take a breath. Cui capitalized on the opening by kicking Gohan as hard as he could in the groin. The pain caused Gohan's rage induced strength to leave him and his pupils returned to their original pitch black.

Cui realized that he now had a shot at winning. He swung his fist at Gohan but missed when the child phased behind him. Gohan punched Cui as hard as he could but it barely moved him. Cui stumbled forward, then turned around and launched at Gohan as fast as his battered body could fly. His fist connected with Gohan's nose shattering the delicate bones like glass. Blood spurted from Gohan's broken nose and his eyes watered, but he still tried to fight on. He was seeing double so he launched several Ki blasts in the general direction.

Cui was struck in the face by a weak blast, but it was more than enough to knock him down. As he was getting up he saw the damage done behind him. All of the remaining pods had been too damaged to take off. Cui's scouter had shattered when the blast struck him, so there was no way to communicate with Freeza's ship to get more pods sent to the planet. He was furious that he would be stuck on this piece of shit planet with no food, water, or women for at least three days until they realized something was wrong.

"You stupid little fucker! Do you have any idea what you just did? I'm stuck on this godforsaken planet until Freeza sends a rescue party! You'll pay for…" his rant was cut short by a tiny boot to his jaw.

Gohan wanted Cui never to get off this planet, and he was prepared to do everything in his power to make sure that happened. Gohan charged up his most powerful attack. It was a move he had seen his father practice, but he couldn't remember the words so instead of a blue beam of light a yellow one shot from his palms.

The attack struck Cui head on and caused his armor to crack and splinter. Cui was momentarily stunned but still had plenty of fight left in him. Gohan on the other hand had started to run out of energy. That last attack had left him exhausted and his arms felt like they were filled with lead.

Cui phased in front of Gohan and kneed him in the stomach. Gohan was lifted up a few feet off the ground and Cui jack hammered him back down. Gohan tried to lift himself up but Cui forced him down by the back of his head. Gohan struggled to stand with all of his might, but Cui felt like a ton of bricks standing on his head. Gohan involuntarily inhaled sand and gagged.

When Cui felt Gohan stop moving he lifted his foot from Gohan's head and kicked him in the side to flip him over. Cui knew lord Freeza would severely punish him if his little pet monkey was killed. He had been instructed to only maim the child, not to kill him. Taking this into consideration Cui stomped Gohan's forearms until they were almost flat. Gohan screamed in agony and then passed out from the pain.

"Teach you to mess with me brat." Cui muttered. He grabbed Gohan and took off to the location of what used to be the planet's only city. There were few sources of water on this hell hole and Cui didn't know how long they would be stranded here. He didn't intend to abandon the Saiyan to the desert, and then end up mutilated by Freeza. He would have to keep the little brat alive and look forward to Freeza punishing him.

(The Next Day)

Gohan woke up in severe pain. Both of his wrists were broken and his hands hung at awkward angles. He didn't know how long he was out but it must have been some time judging by the fact that the planets sun had changed colors. The color had changed from its bright white to a deep blood red. As Gohan stumbled out of the shack he realized that the sun must have been stetting. He followed the scent of water around a corner and ran straight into Cui.

"Well look who's up. Sleep well you little prick?" He laughed. Gohan tried to choke out a response but his throat was coated in sand and he could barely breathe. "Oh is the little monkey thirsty? Well I can help with that." He laughed.

Cui grabbed Gohan by his wrist eliciting a howl of pain, and launched him into the shallow pool of brown water. Gohan gasped for air and swallowed so much water it stretched his throat painfully. He tried to get up but in the same fashion as before Cui forced his head down. "Well don't be modest little monkey. I'm sure you could drink an ocean after that little nap you had." Cui wanted to drown the brat but once again considered how Freeza would react, so he tossed Gohan out of the pool. Gohan threw up a mixture of brown water and blood, and then lapsed into oblivion once more.

The first thing Gohan noticed when he woke up was the temperature. It was much cooler than before. It was still light out but the air was significantly more tolerable than before. 'It must be nighttime, maybe Cui is asleep," Gohan thought. He painfully stood up and checked his injuries. His nose was broken as were his wrists but he had endured worse and survived. Gohan then turned his attention to the sky, and what he saw had a profound affect on him. There sitting in the center of the sky was the biggest full moon he had ever seen. Gohan felt strange, his mind was slipping down the same slope that it had earlier, when he saw Cui and that poor woman. Right before he lost it he remembered that for some reason his father had never let him see a full moon in person before.

Cui awoke with a start. 'What's that, an earthquake? Oh the rescue party must have arrived,' He thought. Cui raced outside to thank his saviors and saw the most frightening thing in his entire life, excluding Freeza, standing in the middle of a ruined hut. The huge ape pounded its chest and leapt into the air.

Cui watched in astonishment as the ape roared and try to grab the moon out of the sky. After several attempts the huge gorilla got frustrated and turned its attention back to the surface of the planet. It looked straight at him and Cui nearly shit his pants. It opened its mouth as of to roar, and instead shot a huge beam of energy at him. Cui was too stunned to move and the blast hit him full force, knocking him out of the sky.

Cui was sure every bone in his body was broken. His armor was shattered and his skin was burnt to a crisp. He tried to stand but couldn't move. It was then that Cui realized the ape was Gohan. "No it can't end like this," he cried. The noise seemed to enrage the Saiyan and it charged straight through buildings towards Cui. He suddenly found the strength to stand and forced the remaining energy in his body to lift him out of the ape's reach. Much to his surprise Gohan leapt high into the air and grabbed him by his legs.

The pressure of its grasp turned Cui's thin fish bones to gel. As Gohan lifted Cui towards his mouth he couldn't help but laugh when he thought about how Freeza would punish the Saiyan.

(Six Hours Later)

Zarbon stood over the naked sleeping body of Gohan and pressed the button on his scouter to talk to Freeza. "Lord Freeza I owe you my apologies. It happened just as you said it would." He said.

"Never doubt me Zarbon. Have I ever led you to believe I can be wrong?" it said. "Never again my lord. I'm bringing the filthy monkey back now. What would you like us to do with the planet?" he asked. "Get rid of it, its worthless to me anyway." Freeza laughed.

AN- Next chapter will be posted on Saturday. R&R


	6. Chapter 6

AN- Thanks to kallu for your review. I was worried that last chapter wasn't very good because of the lack of reviews. I'm sorry I posted this one after I said I would but it had some problems I wanted to fix and it took longer than expected.

Chapter 6- Promoted

Gohan woke up when the pod's computer announced his arrival at Freeza's flagship. He was naked and had no recollection of how he ended up in the pod. He assumed that Cui had caused some serious damage during their fight, and had put him in the pod when the rescue party came to save them. Gohan's body was in terrible shape from the fight. He had several broken bones including both wrists and several ribs, one was sticking out fairly far and Gohan didn't look forward to it getting reset. One thing that puzzled him though was how sore the rest of his body was. Every inch of his skin felt like it had been stretched too far then snapped back, losing some of its elasticity and sagging slightly.

He had never felt like this after even his toughest training session or worst beating. It wasn't particularly painful but it bothered him for some reason. He tried to ignore this new sensation and turned his attention to the ship hovering ominously in the distance. Just the presence of the ship inspired the fear of death in planets near it. Gohan would make sure all of them were destroyed after he killed Freeza and its family.

Gohan dreaded the punishment he knew Freeza would have in store for him. He was sure the tyrant would allow Cui to decide at least part of the torture, and Gohan was sure the bastard would show no mercy after their fight. Gohan didn't remember how badly Cui had been injured but he was sure the injuries weren't that bed considering their power difference.

When the pod entered the ships tractor beam the gravity of the situation hit Gohan full force. He would be lucky to survive after killing one of Freeza's soldiers and attacking one of its top purgers. Gohan readied himself for death as the door opened. Instead of pain what Gohan got was a large turquoise hand gently lifting his battered form from the pod. He would have asked why Zarbon was being careful not to hurt him but his jaw was at the very least fractured and he couldn't move his mouth without overwhelming pain. Zarbon seeming to realize Gohan wanted to talk sneered," Don't worry brat everything will be explained soon."

This gave Gohan more questions than answers and caused a pit of unease to settle in his stomach. 'What needs to be explained?" he thought. 'Other than why Zarbon is carrying me like a baby.'

They traveled to Freeza's throne room and entered without being buzzed in, indicating that Freeza knew they were coming. Zarbon carried Gohan to a comfortable chair in the center of the room and set him down. Gohan prepared himself for his long awaited death. Surprisingly Freeza just sat there in its throne. Gohan stared fearfully into its beady red eyes and it smiled back coldly.

They sat for some time staring at each other before Freeza stood up, startling Gohan who had actually started to succumb to exhaustion and drift off. "You've made quite the mess Saiyan." Freeza joked. "You wiped out an entire race and killed one of my top lieutenants." Gohan was taken aback by this statement. The only member of Freeza's army he had killed was a nameless weakling, Cui was fine, right?

"Oh you don't remember? Allow me to enlighten you then. You see when your primitive species is exposed to solar radiation in the correct proportions you undergo a disgusting transformation into a hideous ape. A full moon is the most common source of the required radiation and the planet you were on had a full moon every night. Unfortunately for Cui your pathetic power level is ten times greater in this form and he never stood a chance." Freeza explained.

Gohan couldn't believe it, that bastard Cui was dead by his hand. He was elated, and had to employ all of his self control to keep it from showing. But why was Freeza so happy? One of his most powerful men had been killed, and now he was treating Gohan like he had accomplished a feat of great honor. Gohan couldn't tell what the freak was playing at.

"Since your tiny monkey brain doesn't understand what this means; I suppose I can explain that too. Cui was one of my best purgers. He mercilessly tore through every planet's inhabitants and left none alive. With him gone someone will need to take care of his share of the work. So congratulations Gohan you've been promoted." Freeza was clearly enjoying itself while it informed Gohan of his knew occupation as one of the head purgers.

"Of course we can't risk another mishap like what happened to poor Cui, now can we?" It asked with mock concern. Gohan didn't know what it meant by that and he was sure it wasn't something he would like. He tried to stand but Freeza grabbed his broken wrist and pulled him back down.

"This is for your own protection, now hold still you little brat." It commanded. It flipped Gohan over and grasped his tail in its talon. "Without this disgusting little appendage you can no longer make the transformation into that dreadful beast your kind so reveres. If you could control yourself I would allow you to keep it, but unlike Vegeta you're an uncontrollable savage."

Freeza tightly gripped Gohan's tail by its base and slowly pulled it away from his back. Gohan screamed louder than he thought was possible. The pain was more severe than anything he had ever experienced, worse than when his eye had been carved out, worse than when Freeza had whipped him until his skin tore away from his back, and worse than that horrible torture serum Freeza had experimented on him with. Gohan could feel his tail separating from his body. The hot blood seeped down his legs and onto the floor. Freeza pulled agonizingly slowly savoring every second of it. The delicate bones broke and the tendons and muscle fiber stretched past their limits and tore. The last things binding his tail to him were the elastic veins and arteries, Freeza gave a final tug and they tore free. Gohan's tail fell limply to the ground and blood flowed freely from its stump.

The wound was rough, and bits of tissue hung loosely from it. Freeza realized that the child would bleed out on the way to the med bay if the wound wasn't treated immediately. It formed a Ki ball and cauterized the snub that used to be Gohan's tail. Gohan passed out from the pain and slumped over the arm of the chair.

"Zarbon, come take the brat to the medical bay. It needs immediate attention or it will die." Freeza said into its scouter. "Yes master right away," Zarbon replied. He had been waiting outside to take the monkey to the med bay after his meeting with Freeza so he heard the screams, but what he saw wasn't what he expected. The child was sitting on the same chair he had left it on, only now it was covered in blood. Zarbon then noticed the shredded tail lying on the floor.

Freeza was back on its throne smirking at its handiwork. Zarbon scooped up the naked child and his tail before Freeza stopped him. "The Saiyan will no longer be requiring that pathetic excuse for a tail, get rid of it."

Zarbon carried the dying and naked child to the med bay and thought about what happened to Cui. If Gohan got much stronger he would be a threat to him and Dodoria, and who knew what its potential was. He hoped Freeza knew what it was doing by making the brat so strong at such a young age. Freeza had been very careful to control how fast Vegeta progressed, after miscalculating the potential of the rest of the Saiyans it had been forced to kill them all. This severely hindered the speed at which they could purge planets but it was for the best. Now Zarbon was worried that Freeza would allow his pet to grow too strong and he would end up like Cui, killed over some psychotic mind game.

Zarbon knew how crazy Freeza was. Sure Zarbon was a sick twisted bastard, but that was because he had to be. He was still very much sane. The entire cold family was imbalanced. If they were weaker Zarbon would have tried to organize a revolution years ago. He had often entertained the idea of a takeover, until he saw Freeza and its 'brother' Cooler fight. Zarbon wasn't quite sure how they were related, seeing as how they were sexless. They had fought on a level he thought he could one day reach for a time, and then something that haunted him to his core to this very day happened. Both of them powered up to insane levels and tore the planet they were on apart with their fight. Zarbon and Dodoria had barely escaped the planet and thought the two were dead. But the fight continued in space.

Zarbon thought the two would destroy the galaxy, until their 'father' King Cold stopped them. Zarbon didn't believe one person could have as much power as King Cold, it easily dwarfed its 'children' and didn't change past its first form. The thing that scared Zarbon the most though wasn't the amount of power but the people that wielded it.

Zarbon had been so absorbed in his thoughts he had nearly walked right passed the med bay. He carried Gohan inside and dropped him on the doctors table. Zarbon stared down at the child for a moment then walked out. He would need more than a few drinks to hold his thoughts at bay for the night.

(Med Bay)

Gohan woke up in a regeneration chamber as the fluid drained. He stepped out on shaky legs, and fell forward. He wasn't used to the lack of weight on his back and had a hard time standing back up. It was strange not having a tail, it still felt like it was there but when he tried to move it he remembered it was gone.

It had been two days since his encounter with Freeza in his throne room and between that and his fight with Cui his power had almost doubled. His power level was 17,500 making him almost equal to where Cui had been.

Gohan walked to his room and took a shower to rid his body of the foul smelling chemicals from the regeneration chamber. He dried himself off and went to get dressed only to find Dodoria waiting for him on his bed.

"Lord Freeza wishes to see you at once." Dodoria sneered. Gohan was in no mood to deal with the disgusting blob and was even less happy to have to see Freeza again so soon after what happened. "Get out." Gohan said as calmly as he could.

Dodoria phased in front of his and embedded his fist deep in Gohan's ribs. Two of Gohan's ribs broke and his sternum was fractured. "Don't start thinking you're more powerful than me, Saiyan trash. Cui was barely even a warrior. Me or Zarbon could still easily tear you apart." He said with a sick smile on his face. Gohan tried to choke out a response but all that came out was a froth of spit and blood.

Dodoria pulled him to his feet and tossed him into the hall. Gohan's diaphragm regained its function and he pulled in several shallow breaths before standing and facing Dodoria. He made a fist and stepped towards the pink freak before reigning in his temper and saving himself a beating.

He walked to Freeza's throne room with Dodoria behind him, which made him very uncomfortable. After being on Freeza's ship for so long he didn't like people being at his back.

When they entered Freeza's throne room Gohan's guard was as high as it could get. He wasn't about to let something like the tail incident repeating itself happen. He positioned himself so that he was facing everyone in the room and the door was at his side.

Freeza was having a very quiet conversation with captain Ginyu and kept glancing over at Gohan. He tried to hear what they were saying but all he caught was something about traveling somewhere in a few months and how they needed to restock supplies in about three weeks. After they were finished talking Ginyu left and Freeza beckoned Gohan over to its throne.

"I'm terribly sorry about what happened to your tail, but it was for the best." It apologized with feigned sincerity. "Now, because of your new rank I think it would be appropriate to send you on a solo purge."

Gohan could barely believe his ears; it was offering him a chance to escape on a silver platter. He tried to not let it show on his face how eager he was but Freeza sensed his excitement and chuckled.

"You Saiyans are so savage and blood thirsty, but it's to be expected from such a primitive species. Run along now get a new set of armor, the planet you're being sent to has warriors with an average power level of 6,000 and we wouldn't want to lose you so soon after your promotion." Freeza joked.

Gohan quickly left and headed towards the pod bay, and to a shot at freedom. He was reluctant to go with his injuries from Dodoria, but figured his Saiyan genes would heal him enough to fight if need be.

Back in Freeza's throne room Zarbon was silently questioning Freeza's decision to send the child on a purge alone what if it took the pod and escaped, or failed and gave the warriors on the planet a warning that they were threatened.

Freeza keyed in on Zarbon's trepidation and reassured him by saying, "I said don't doubt me Zarbon. I am sending him alone on purpose. The warriors on the planet are weak but that's not why I sent him." It said.

"May I ask why then my lord?" Zarbon asked. "You'll find out soon, it's a just a little surprise." It said, and then broke out into an insane laugh.

Zarbon once again started to ponder Freeza's insanity. It was a maniac, but it was also conniving and highly intelligent. The combination was terrifying and often made Zarbon worried that Freeza would grow bored and end the lives of all his men just for the fun of it.

(Space Pod)

Gohan had just taken off and engaged the pods sleep gas. The planet was a two week trip and he wasn't about to stay awake for the whole thing. He dreamt of freedom and coming back after he was strong enough to destroy his captor. Escape, however, was not what the planet had in store for the Young Saiyan.

AN- I will be posting the next chapter sometime towards the end of next week, but don't worry its worth the wait, I hope. In the meantime keep those reviews coming.


	7. Chapter 7

AN- Sorry the update took so long but this is about how they will be for the next two months. I would like to thank OpenSourceArtist for taking the time to write a review. I am always open to tips to improve my writing. I appreciate any constructive criticism and would love some feedback on the story itself. Also I'm looking for a beta reader; if anyone is interested pm me and we can chat

Update- I have done some minor editing on this chapter and have decided to break it up into 2 separate chapters. Chapter 8 is actually the second half of the original Chapter 7 so if you read the original post you can skip to Chapter 9.

**Chapter 7- Captured**

Gohan stepped out of his pod and surveyed his surroundings. The planet was lush and covered with life. It reminded Gohan of the rainforests on Earth he had read about in his studies.

Earth, Gohan hoped to be on his way there soon but first he had to ensure his destination was unknown to Freeza. Gohan checked his scouter and registered five power levels over 2,000. The fighters on this planet were pathetically weak; Gohan could defeat them all with a flick of his wrist. However he had no intentions of fighting them. He wanted to remain undetected long enough to find a spaceship capable of a voyage to Earth. He kept his hopes in check though, his scouter had informed him of the planets advancements and they had only recently traveled outside their solar system. Gohan felt bad for the people of the planet, their curiosity of what lied in space had turned Freeza's gaze toward their sector of space and now they and their neighbors were doomed.

Gohan tossed his scouter into his pod, and then buried it in its crater. He thought about destroying it but realized it would attract Freeza and possibly destroy his only means of escape. After making sure the crater was hidden and marking its location incase he had to return; Gohan took off in the direction of the largest concentration of life on the planet.

As Gohan got closer the distinctive smells of civilization reached his nose. He dropped from the sky just before the forest began to thin. Gohan decided to wait for nightfall to make his way into the city so he could sneak around more easily. He didn't want his armor drawing attention to him.

Gohan walked to the edge of the forest and began to creep through the tall grass that outlined the city. He stared in wonder at its skyscrapers and flashing lights. Primitive wheeled vehicles drove in and out of the metropolis in throngs and Gohan was astounded at the amount of inhabitants the planet had.

'No, even if my life depended on it I couldn't kill that many innocent people.' Gohan snacked on some rodents he had caught, before taking a nap and waiting for the sun to set.

He didn't have to wait long before it was dark enough to sneak into the city and search for a spaceship. Gohan flew low and silently over the landscape. He went over the roofs of houses and scoped out the larger buildings for a place to land.

'Now where should I start?' he thought. After some deliberation he settled to check the tallest buildings first. He moved like a ghost from one rooftop to another checking for opened doors or any signs of a spacecraft. He started to get frustrated when he realized he couldn't read the writing on the doors and street signs before remembering his scouter could translate the alien language for him. Reluctantly Gohan flew off back to where his pod was hidden.

Gohan reached it without any trouble and began to search for the mark that signified where to dig. He found it and started to dig his pod out of the soft dirt. It took him a few minutes to excavate the pod and drag it from the hole. Gohan put his scouter back on and pressed the button. It sensed his eyes movement and opened the translation database. He set it to render the planets language into galactic standard, which he had learned quickly on Freeza's ship and turned towards the city.

After several more hours of searching Gohan was no closer to finding a ship than he had been before he got his scouter, and now the sun was coming up. He decided to return to his pod and rest until the next night. On the flight back Gohan started to doze off a little, and the excitement of having freedom soon had worn off enough for his fractured ribs to hurt again. 'Dodoria gets to die first.' He thought darkly.

When Gohan reached the pod he climbed in and fell asleep almost instantly. He had been exhausted by all the searching and was out for quite a while. When he woke up he was ravenous, so he set out to find some food and water. He followed his nose towards a small stream about five miles from his pod and began searching for a snack.

Gohan killed and ate a small deer and several birds before taking a much needed bath to rejuvenate himself. After he was relaxed and cooled off he headed back to the pod to plan his next move.

Immediately after arriving at his campsite Gohan realized something was very wrong. The pod had been dragged onto the back of one of the vehicles he had seen earlier and it was wrapped in chains. Gohan grabbed the chains and ripped them off the pod; then he pushed it off the back of the vehicle and checked it for damage. It seemed fine so he started to search for whoever had moved it.

Gohan checked his scouter and found several readings of power level 2 hiding in the forest. Not feeling threatened by the cowering aliens, Gohan started to set his pod to fly to a new location when one of the aliens approached from the bushes.

Gohan turned to see what it was going to do and was surprised to find it looked much like a human. Other than its pale skin and light green hair it looked just like anyone from Earth. Gohan was about to call out to him when he signaled to the others in the bushed to come out.

"Stop right there!" Gohan yelled when they started to walk towards him. The humanoids halted their advance and spoke to him in shaky voices.

"We are unarmed and don't wish for violence." The first one that had come out from hiding said. After being in Freeza's army Gohan was wary of the aliens and kept his distance. "Is this your ship?" One of them asked.

"I don't want any trouble, now please leave me alone." Gohan responded. The one that asked if the pod was Gohan's took a step forward and Gohan got into a defensive stance. "I said STOP!" He screamed at the alien, who kept slowly advancing towards him. The alien then quickly reached into its pocket and pulled out small knife. Gohan saw the blade and quickly fired a blast severing four of the creature's fingers.

The other aliens acted quickly and called for help. Gohan thought that his scouter had shown him all of the people near him and was surprised to see three larger aliens step into the clearing.

These guys were different, they were larger and bulkier. Their hair was short and the moved with confidence and grace. Gohan immediately knew they were fighters. He pressed the button on his scouter and read their power levels at barely 150 each. He didn't want to kill them but if they left him no choice he would have to. Gohan phased to the nearest warrior and took a swing. He was surprised when his fist only met air. He was even more surprised when a foot collided with the back of his head and caused him to stumble forward.

Gohan's first thought was that the scouter was broken and had read their power levels wrong, so he checked again. This time two of them were at 4,500 while the third was at 7,000. Gohan was still very confidant he could beat them but he would have to be a bit more careful and compensate for their speed. He phased to the one with the highest power level and began a barrage of punches and kicks. Gohan threw each one with more strength than the last, but each was either dodged or blocked. He disengaged and checked his scouter again.

Gohan was astonished to find the fighter's power level at 15,000. After his fight with Cui, Gohan's power had risen to 18,000 so it was strange that he was having so much trouble with this warrior.

"You shouldn't trust your silly machine Saiyan." The strongest fighter said. "How do you know I'm a Saiyan?" Gohan demanded. The warrior phased in front of him and planted his knee in Gohan's chest. Gohan fell to the ground and coughed up blood. His fractured ribs were now broken and his lung had been punctured.

Gohan pushed himself up and tried to ignore the pain and fluid in his lung. He Phased behind the two weaker warriors and fired a series of powerful Ki blasts at them. They weren't expecting it and took the full force of the attacks. Gohan took advantage of the smoke and dust that resulted from the explosion and flew high into the sky. He charged up another more powerful attack and carefully fired it carefully so his pod wasn't destroyed.

Gohan was gasping and he wasn't able to take in a full breath due to his lung but he was sure the fight was over. When the smoke cleared he was satisfied with what he saw. The weaker two were gone, not even dust remained, and the strongest was badly burned but still alive. Gohan floated down to the ground and surveyed the pod for damage. It appeared to be fine so he turned his attention to the last fighter.

The alien had stood up but Gohan could tell he was barely alive. "I'll let you live if you stop now." He promised. The warrior didn't say anything; he just sat down and began to cry. "I have failed you great angle Qui'zej. I am not worthy of life." He sobbed.

Gohan had no interest in the man's pleading with his god, so he turned to his pod and prepared to fly to a more remote location. He was about to climb in when he felt a sharp pain in his side. Gohan looked down and saw a dagger like the one the alien from earlier had, embedded an inch deep in his side. The blade was glowing from the Ki that had been infused into it. He quickly pulled it out and dropped it to the dirt.

Gohan turned back to the warrior and tried to lift his arm to deal a killing blow but found he couldn't move. Gohan looked down at the knife and noticed it had a hollow tip and murky yellow fluid dripping from it. He attempted to step back and into the pod but his legs felt like they were made of lead. Finally he fell to his knees. The alien stood up and stalked over to him smirking the whole way. When he was in front of Gohan he began to laugh. Gohan coughed up some foam and blacked out falling face first onto the ground.

(Unknown Location)

Gohan was woken up some time later by someone poking him with a needle. Warmth spread through his whole body at the site of the injection and he felt a strong sense of euphoria.

"Ah good the subject is awake," announced a voice from the darkness surrounding Gohan. Suddenly a large bright light turned on and blinded him. "Subject shows good pupil dilation."

Gohan struggled to sit up but found he was clamped to a table. He tried to power up and was rewarded with a strong shock from his restraints. "I'm afraid there is no escape for you, Saiyan." said a second voice. This person Gohan recognized from earlier as the man that had poisoned him.

"Let me out!" Gohan cried. He was once again shocked by his wrist and ankle clamps. "Like I said there is no hope of escape." The voice mocked from the darkness. Gohan's eyes had started to adjust and he could make out the silhouettes of two people in the room.

"This is all you deserve, you murdering monster!" yelled the warrior that had poisoned him. The man lifted up a large blade strengthened with his Ki and violently descended upon Gohan. He stabbed Gohan several times in the chest before the second man stopped him.

"Stop! Stop!" he yelled. "The doctor wants the child alive for the examination. You can have your revenge when she's done." He assured. "This demon killed two of my men and you expect me to let her keep it as a pet!" The fighter screamed.

Gohan had been trying to pry open his restraints during their argument and almost had his right arm free when a door opened. The room was flooded with light and a group of people walked in wearing lab coats. Gohan had a bad feeling about the new arrivals and renewed his efforts against his bonds.

A female scientist walked over to him and opened a large box containing several needles and some surgical implements. Gohan tried to access his Ki but another scientist quickly shocked him almost into unconsciousness. Gohan was seeing double and was temporarily paralyzed from the electricity. The female doctor capitalized on his inability to struggle by sticking him in the arm with a needle.

Gohan suddenly felt very sleepy and had to fight the urge to succumb to the darkness invading his sight. His ears felt clogged and his tongue was fuzzy but he could still barely understand the conversation that was going on around him. He heard that they were moving him to a more secure location because he was so dangerous and he heard the warrior saying to just kill him here and now. A woman was arguing that he could be used in some kind of entertainment, and finally the warrior left the room. Clearly the scientists wanted him alive but the soldier wouldn't relent with his wish to be rid of the Saiyan.

Finally one of the scientists ended the conversation by loosening Gohan's feet so they could transfer him to a gurney. As soon as his feet were free he wrapped them around the doctor's throat. Even stoned out of his mind Gohan's survival instincts fought to keep him alive. He tightened the grip his tiny legs had on the man's neck and sharply twisted to the side, cleanly breaking his neck.

Gohan felt satisfied that he wouldn't be the only one dying in the room. He released the doctor from his legs grip and waited for death to come. Instead of pain all he felt was another needle entering his arm. Gohan's eyes rolled back in his head and his body went limp.

He regained consciousness momentarily several times on the trip to wherever the scientists were taking him but wasn't lucid enough to care. His entire body felt like it was floating in warm water with fresh rose pedals tickling his skin. On more than one occasion he caught sight of a window or hallway but couldn't see any fine details. He fell into the abyss of darkness and before he lost all cognitive function Gohan thought to himself this wasn't the best way to start his escape from Freeza.


	8. Chapter 8

AN- Sorry if this post confuses anyone but I have cut Chapter 7 in half. You may have already read this and the only changes are grammatical and minor. If you did already read the original Chapter 7 feel free to skip to Chapter 9.

**Chapter 8- Captive**

Gohan didn't know how long he had been out, all he knew was that he didn't like where he was. It was a white room with no windows and only one artificial light. He was secured to a bed and had a constant IV of mild sedatives in his arm. Mild to him but they could have easily killed several elephants. Regardless of their strength they were keeping him from tapping into any of his Ki.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts he didn't notice the female doctor from before enter the room and walk over to him. She grabbed the end of the bed and wheeled him out of the room. Gohan's head was spinning but he could tell what his surroundings were now. All around him were rooms with only a few markings on their doors. Gohan didn't know the language but based on how some of the characters repeated they had to be numbers. Gohan noticed a plastic bracelet on his wrist that had some similar markings on it and figured it was his patient id.

The scientist pushed him into a room filled with others wearing surgical dressings and buzzing with barely contained excitement. They all circled around him when he reached the center of the room and began to prepare for what Gohan was sure would be an unpleasant procedure.

One of the doctors shoved a rag into Gohan's mouth and another produced a scalpel from a small stand next to the bed. Gohan tried to move but between the sedatives and how tightly he was secured he couldn't budge an inch.

"Patient has a punctured lung and several broken ribs." A surgeon said into what appeared to be a camera. Then he pushed two tubes into Gohan's nose to supply him with oxygen for the surgery. "Now beginning initial incision." The female doctor from earlier said after she was handed the scalpel.

Gohan felt sick as the razor slipped across his abdomen. Warmth seeped from the wound and he almost passed out from the pain. It seemed these people were almost as sadistic as Freeza, as they were clearly enjoying every second of his pain. The table had a drain around its rim and caught Gohan's blood before cycling it back into him through his IV. He didn't know how long they planned to keep his chest opened but it appeared it could be quite some time.

After a sizable incision was made the tissue was pulled apart and his ribs were exposed. The surgeon used a pair of shiny metal pliers to pry the rib out of Gohan's lung and then reset it so it would heal properly. Gohan thought it was over but the people in the room seemed to have other plans.

One of them took a bright light and placed it right in Gohan's eyes and another injected something into his IV. Abruptly Gohan felt very awake and the pain in his chest was magnified tenfold. The female doctor laughed at the look in his eyes and ran her gloved hand over his exposed sternum.

"So tell us Saiyan why are you here?" she asked in a voice that had Gohan been a little older would have melted him like butter in her palm. "He can't answer with that gag in his mouth." one of the other doctors piped up and said. "I know that you idiot! I was just trying to have some fun before he's dead." She replied.

Gohan wasn't shocked at this revelation; he had been expecting them to have killed him some time ago. He wished they would hurry up though. He didn't appreciate them dragging it out any longer than they had to. Although fixing his rib did make it seem they wanted him alive for a little longer.

"Time to close it up." She announced much to the other doctor's disappointment. "Don't worry though; we have another session scheduled for this time tomorrow." She promised into the camera.

They closed Gohan up and cauterized the gash with a laser. Gohan didn't look forward to what lie ahead in the next few days, but he had decided that death here would be unacceptable. His goal of killing Freeza rang continuously in the back of his mind, keeping him constantly looking for an escape route.

(Two Days Later)

With no legitimate medical procedure necessary, the 'sessions' had quickly devolved into straight forward torture. They injected Gohan with different chemicals to see their affect was. They pealed his skin back and poured acid on the bare flesh beneath. Their torment was painful, but Gohan had suffered much worse from Freeza.

Most of the doctors were sick, sadistic, psychopaths but she was different. Gohan never got a name from any of them but he could tell if it was her or not based on the level of pain that was inflicted. Often he would be taken at odd hours and put face down so he didn't know what was coming, but if the pain was close to equivalent to what Freeza could inflict he was sure it was her.

He had found out that his torture was recorded and televised for the general population of the planet. From what he gathered he was quite popular because he could take more punishment than anyone before.

Gohan had undergone a change during the last two days. He'd decided that everyone on this planet deserved to die. In his mind it would be more of a cleansing than a purge.

Gohan's daydreaming about wiping out the planet was cut short by the door opening and a man entering. Silently Gohan was carted out into the torture chamber for another session.

She was the one doing it this time, and it was something new. Incisions had been made all over his torso and small rings of razor wire were placed into them. The pain was incredible as each mechanical circle carved out a hollow in his chest and abdomen.

"It seems the public has grown bored with you, and I have been commanded to finish you off." She cheerfully announced. "But don't worry I have something special planned for tomorrow, sort of a live grand finally to our time together. Now rest up, we wouldn't want you tired for your last fight."

Gohan carefully thought over her words. If he heard her right tomorrow his death was to be broadcast live for the entire planet. If he planned to escape it would have to be then.

'How am I going to fight with these razors inside me?' he thought. After several hours of deliberation and some unsuccessful attempts to sit up he settled to just let whatever they had planned happen.

Gohan was awoken early the next morning and carted out passed the torture chamber into a hallway he had never been down before. At the end of it there was a large elevator, it took about ten minutes to reach the top and Gohan realized just how far underground he was.

He was wheeled outside the large concrete compound and into a vehicle with a spinning blade on top. As they ascended into the sky Gohan took in the surroundings and concluded that he was on the outskirts of the metropolis he had searched for a ship earlier.

After a few minutes of flight they descended into a huge open dome. Gohan was taken aback by how many people were here for his execution. 'I really must be popular,' he morbidly joked to himself.

He was further astounded when his cuffs were released and he was pushed out of the aircraft. It was painful to move with the foreign objects tearing at his insides, but it felt good to be free of his constraints. The aircraft then flew back up into the sky and the roof closed after it.

The crown was going wild. People were trying to get on the field, and others were throwing things at him. Suddenly a door on the far side of the coliseum opened and the warrior form his fight emerged. His skin had healed, but it had severe scarring from the burns and looked quite gruesome. Gohan readied himself for what he was sure would be his final battle, he tried to assume a stance but the pain was too severe to properly get into one.

The fighter rocketed towards Gohan and slammed his fist hard into Gohan's chest. He went flying to the other side of the arena and the crowd erupted into a series of cheers and laughter. Based on the force of the blow the warrior had been severely weakened by his injuries.

Gohan was lying on his stomach and he painfully got to his knees. There were red circles where the blood had pooled under his skin and Gohan could see the outlines of the circlets of blade. They were spinning and slicing at his soft tissue. Gohan held his breath and tore into one that was just above his sternum. He removed the blade and used it to cut lines over the other spots. Then he reached into each incision and pulled the blades out. He doubted they would be expecting him to fight back, but he wasn't about to go out without a bang.

Gohan turned just in time to see the fighter making another pass at him. Gohan sidestepped just as the warrior got to him. He hadn't been ready for Gohan to move and fell forward. He quickly righted himself and flipped to face Gohan. Suddenly Gohan descended upon him with the Ki powered razor. He screamed in pain as his eyes were hacked from his skull. Everything was black and he stood no chance against the Saiyan, no matter how weak the child was.

Gohan attacked without remorse, cleaving the man's face from his head. He cut his throat and the warrior fell to the ground dead. During the short fight the crowd had barely realized what was happening. As soon as they saw their champion was dead they panicked. They ran like scared deer from a lion as the Saiyan levitated into the air.

Gohan was severely weakened but had more than enough Ki to deal with the masses of people as they fled. He shot attacks into the crowd and began to laugh. The blasts didn't vaporize them; instead their arms and legs were blown off leaving them to bleed to death slowly.

Gohan flew into the crowd and cried out with glee as the blood sprayed over his entire body. He started to use his hands, tearing apart people piece by piece and eating large chunks of flesh. After being starved in the lab for three days he was almost emaciated and the meat was a treat.

Gohan took his time savoring each of their suffering with a smile on his face. When he was sure they were all dead he walked to what he thought was an exit. On his way out he heard the sobs of a child. Gohan followed the wails down a side hall and into a closet. There was a little boy inside that couldn't have been older than he was.

"Why?" the boy asked. Gohan didn't understand what the boy meant and responded," What do you mean?" "Why are you so evil?" the child cried. Gohan laughed at the boy's naivety, he reminded him of himself only a few months ago.

"It doesn't matter if I'm evil, everyone's evil. The only thing that matters is power." Gohan said. He then turned and left the child in the closet. Gohan resumed his course to the exit, and just before he reached the door he tossed a powerful Ki blast into the arena. Anyone that had survived would surely be dead after that final attack.

Gohan looked over his injuries and decided they weren't severe enough to return to Freeza's ship over yet. First he would purge the planet of each and every one of its inhabitants. Any thoughts of escape were left behind as he took off towards the lab he had been held at. He had a date with a special lady, and nothing would stand in his way.


	9. Chapter 9

AN- Sorry if cutting Chapter 7 in half confused anyone but here's Chapter 9 to fix it. Thanks to Kallu for your encouragement and OpenSourceArtist for your helpful tips. If anyone has a tip or some pointers please leave a review.

**Chapter 9- The Monster Inside**

**-Warning Contains Graphic Violence/Gore- **

Gohan flew high over the city reveling in having his freedom back. His imprisonment had completely changed his feelings about purging this planet of its inhabitants. However he had one specific person in mind to kill first. Gohan would make sure she suffered before he ended her pathetic life. The idea of her blood on his hands made his mouth water.

As much as he wanted to just lay waste to the city bellow him, he didn't want to draw unnecessary attention to himself, yet. He was still injured from his fight and weak from the tortures he had suffered through just to entertain the sick people that lived on the godforsaken planet. They were almost as bad as Freeza, and Gohan would punish them for it.

Gohan spotted several men flying towards the remains of the coliseum he had just escaped. He was sure he was stronger than them but after his scouter had been tricked by the first warrior, he wasn't taking any chances. He would wait for his Saiyan physiology to heal him then take out the rest of the planets fighters. Gohan's Saiyan blood boiled at the prospect of a good fight but he fought hard to keep it in check.

Gohan dropped from the sky in the grassy region around the compound. After blowing up the arena they would surly have posted some security around the area, so he kept on his toes. He crawled quickly through the grass constantly scanning for movement. When he was about thirty feet from the front entrance he smelled someone. The odor of sweat and testosterone filled his nostrils; it clearly belonged to a man.

Gohan carefully approached where the scent was strongest and saw who it belonged to. There was a tall and bulky warrior standing guard in front of the large concrete door. He appeared quite formidable and Gohan wanted to avoid a direct confrontation.

Gohan scooted back into the tallest grass, and then circled around to the side of the building. When he got to the wall he crouched down and slinked to the front. He was small enough for the guard not to notice him before it was too late.

Gohan launched up at him and sunk his elongated canines into the man's throat. He tore a large chunk from his neck and swallowed the bloody lump of flesh. The guard's fell and a pool of blood rapidly formed around him. The last thing he saw before he died was the grinning young face of his killer.

After the sentinel was taken care of Gohan entered the building. He was like the angle of death, moving silently down halls searching for his prey and killing anyone he saw. Gohan was noiseless and efficient, breaking necks and tearing heads off before people could call for help.

He went room to room and looked for her. The compound was vast and contained many rooms, some filled with camera equipment and others with torture implements. Had Gohan's mind not been completely filled with thoughts of revenge he would have been disgusted at some of the devices he found. He entered one room that had children chained to the walls slowly starving with cameras filming them. 'These people are more sadistic than Freeza,' Gohan mercifully ended their lives.

He cleared the first level then broke all of the elevators to ensure no one could escape past him. There were several people on the staircase and Gohan tore through them without missing a beat.

The second floor was very much the same as the first with the exception that it had many more people working on it. Gohan had to make a little bit more noise dealing with them, and someone raised an alarm. Now that they knew he was there he had to be faster to avoid more warriors arriving and possibly starting a fight he couldn't win.

Gohan didn't find her in any of the rooms so went further underground into the third and deepest level. This was where he had been held, he could tell by the smell and way it felt. He hurried down the hall kicking in the doors to the rooms he had seen earlier. Inside there were other captives strapped to the same style beds he had been stuck on. Gohan tossed small Ki blasts into the rooms, killing all the prisoners.

At the end of the hall was one final door. It didn't have any markings on it and Gohan was sure she was behind it. He grabbed the handle and tore the door off its hinges. What he saw made his rage boil over.

"Where the fuck is she!" He yelled into the room full of cowering doctors. "Tell me where she went!" All he got in response was gibberish, and his frustration finally made his self control snap. Gohan phased into the room and demolished its occupants. He tore limbs from bodies and swung them like weapons, bashing the doctors into piles of goo and bloody rags.

Gohan found his scouter and armor on a table in the center of the room. They must have been studying them when he got there and killed them. He put on his gear and pressed the button on his scouter. There wasn't a single person left in the building, and the realization caused Gohan to lose what remained of his sanity. Being robbed of his revenge didn't bode well for the rest of the planet.

Gohan powered up to his max and flew straight up through the buildings roof. Between having some time to heal, and having a snack, Gohan was almost back at full strength. He turned towards the city and spotted several dots flying at him. He hit the button on his scouter and checked their power levels. None of them were over 100, but Gohan wouldn't be fooled for a second. The warriors on this planet seemed to be able to suppress their power to trick the scouter.

Gohan flew as fast as he could to intercept them. Fueled by the rage of having his vengeance taken from him, he attacked with the intent to kill. None of them had time to mount any kind of serious defense, and Gohan ruthlessly laid into them. He was much too fast for them to land even a single hit and his attacks broke bones and punched holes in their bodies.

The fight was over much faster than he would have liked and left him even hungrier for violence. He stared at the city for a moment and a voice in the back of his head pleaded for him to stop. Gohan forced it into his subconscious and headed for the city.

When he got there he was quite pleased with what he saw. People were screaming and running in terror from him. Most of them had watched him being tortured over the last few days and now he would have retribution.

Gohan opened up with a series of Ki blasts into the taller buildings, and laughed like a madman as the structures crashed down upon the helpless civilians. He slowly descended to the ground firing weak attacks into the panicked crowds to kill them one by one. Gohan strolled down the city streets killing people left and right and laughing at their pain.

Soon he grew bored with just blowing them up and went to work with his hands. He tore people limb from limb, and bathed in their blood. A man stepped forward to fight back and fired on Gohan with a primitive gas operated weapon. Gohan caught the projectile and flicked it back at him, hitting him in the gut and blowing a huge hole out his back. A teenage girl had been cowering behind him and was showered in entrails. She let out a bloodcurdling scream and Gohan saw her. He strolled over and grabbed her by her head. He picked her up and squeezed until her skull ruptured spewing brain matter onto the sidewalk.

Gohan spent the afternoon clearing the city of each and every person he could find. He checked his scouter to make sure no one escaped, and when he was satisfied they were all dead, he took a minute to examine his work. Smoke billowed into the sky and the only sounds he could here were the fires raging throughout the ruins and his own heartbeat thumping loudly in his ears. His appetite for death had yet to be satiated so he headed to the next biggest settlement.

He flew towards the next city and spotted several rockets taking off from a launch pad. Gohan wasn't impressed by the spacecraft and realized he couldn't have gotten far enough to escape Freeza in one of them. He blasted the supports holding them upright and watched as they collapsed down to the ground. They crumpled like aluminum cans and blew up in a series of bright colors. The display reminded him of fireworks and he stopped to enjoy it for a moment.

Quickly growing bored with the explosions he headed off to the center of the city. Gohan cleared it out faster than the first and was soon off to the third one. Eventually he ran out of cities and began scouring the countryside for remaining survivors.

Night fell and Gohan quietly flew into a small town in the middle of nowhere. He was hungry and tired so he didn't waste any time disposing of the villagers. Gohan crept from house to house and killed many of them in their sleep. When he reached the last house he dragged its inhabitants, a couple and their baby, out into the street and executed them. He then went back inside and went through their kitchen. After having a large snack he went upstairs and got in a bed. Gohan drifted off to sleep, but even in his dreams he wasn't safe.

(Dream)

Gohan was walking down the halls of Freeza's ship. He had been summoned to the throne room but he didn't want to go. He tried to stop walking but it was like his legs had a mind of their own. They carried him straight to Freeza and his body bowed against his will.

"It's good to see you Gohan. I see you've had quite the time on your purge." It cooed into his ear. "Yes master Freeza, I did as you commanded." He replied monotonously. "No you didn't you insolent little brat. Some of that planet's inhabitants survived."

Gohan's eyes grew wide and he tried to standup and escape, but he couldn't move. Suddenly Freeza was upon him, pounding him and yelling obscene threats into his ears. Gohan was sure he was about to die when surprisingly, the beating stopped. He looked up and watched Freeza morph into the little boy from the coliseum.

"Why did you kill me?" he sobbed tearfully. Gohan didn't know what to say to calm the child. After all he was barely older than the boy himself. Before he could think of something the boy morphed into the girl from the street.

"You killed my papa!" she wailed. Gohan was almost in tears himself at this point and didn't know if he could take much more. Her head exploded and she became the woman from the lab. She had a cruel smile on her face and a needle in her hand. Gohan tried to move but he was back in the bed he had been strapped to for those three days.

"There is no escape you weak little monkey." She spoke in Freeza's voice and had an evil glint in her eyes. Gohan opened his mouth to scream for help, but instead of words blood and maggots spewed forth.

(End Dream)

Gohan awoke screaming. He was tangled in his blankets and couldn't breathe. He flared his Ki and disintegrated them and the bed. The dream was so vivid he wasn't sure he was awake. He threw up and then shakily walked down the stairs and outside.

It was very early in the morning and the sun wasn't yet out, but Gohan knew he couldn't go back to sleep. He checked his scouter and only found a thousand people left on the planet. He was back in his right mind and felt disgusted at what he had done, but knew he had to finish what he started. The dream made him think about what Freeza would do if he left anyone alive, so Gohan took off to wrap up any stragglers.

Gohan killed the remainder of the people with none of the happiness of the previous day. He was quick and tried to kill them as painless as possible. Their screams no longer brought him any joy and every drop of blood spilt left a bad taste in his mouth.

Gohan finished up around midday and once again checked his scouter. Finding nothing sizeable alive, he pressed the button and summoned his pod to his location. While he waited Gohan hopped into a small stream and cleaned the grime off his armor. The pod landed and he climbed in.

As he left the atmosphere Gohan looked back to the planet and was shocked with what he saw. There was a red tint to the clouds and smoke rose up from where cities used to rise. The once fertile world was now a smoldering ember waiting for a cleanup crew. The fires were so big they were visible from space, but there was an eerie calm to the whole planet.. Maybe knowing there wasn't anyone left on its surface made the planet seem so still. It disturbed Gohan to know they were all dead by his hand, no matter how screwed up they were they didn't all deserve to die.

Gohan knew there was a dark and violent monster inside him, but it still shocked him what he was capable of. In the future he would be more careful and he wouldn't enjoy the slaughter of innocents.

AN- There's Chapter 9. I changed it around from what I originally wrote, it had a scene with Goku and Piccolo but I moved it to Chapter 10 to make the story flow better. I posted this early to make up for the changes with Chapter 7. Chapter 10 will be up Saturday. Please leave a review.


	10. Chapter 10

AN- Here's Chapter 10, sorry if it's a bit slow but OpenSourceArtist was right about me going too fast. Thanks again to Kallu and to all the people that have added me or my story to their favorites lists. It's great to know people are enjoying this, but some reviews would also be appreciated. This chapter is mostly Piccolo, but it's pretty important for the plot later on.

Chapter 10- Reconciliation

(Grand Kai's Planet)

Piccolo grit his teeth as he watched Goku train. The Saiyan's strength seemed to grow endlessly, while Piccolo's sat in the same place it had for the last three weeks. After watching Goku power up to an insane level and begin a kata at an almost imperceptible speed, Piccolo had had enough. He flew at Goku and tried to kick him in the head, however his leg was caught and Piccolo was flung aside like a ragdoll.

"I don't have time to spar with you right now Piccolo. Why don't you ask King Kai if he has something for you to do?" Goku snarled. His power level was so high that Piccolo's attacks barely hurt, and if Goku wasn't getting injured he wasn't getting stronger.

Piccolo was practically deranged, being looked down upon by his rival made his anger and frustration boil over. He launched back at Goku and threw punch after punch at him. Goku blocked or dogged most of them, and the few that landed didn't have much of an impact on the Saiyan. After a few seconds Piccolo's onslaught was stopped by a powerful Ki blast to his stomach. Piccolo was thrown into a nearby hill but quickly got back up to attack again.

However King Kai suddenly appeared in between the two and stopped them. "Goku, Piccolo, what's going on here?" He demanded. "Piccolo attacked me and interrupted my training for no reason!"

"I'm tired of sitting here doing nothing while this fool's strength grows in leaps and bounds!" Piccolo shouted. "Why'd you even bring me here if only Goku would be getting more powerful?"

"I brought you to Grand Kai's planet because I know of a way for you to get stronger, but you're not going to like it." King Kai warned. "Well, spit it out already!" Piccolo yelled. "If you knew how to make me stronger why didn't you tell me three weeks ago when we first got here?"

"Like I said you weren't going to like it. The only way for you to surpass your current limitations is to become whole again." King Kai explained.

"What do you mean become whole again? You want me and Kami to rejoin bodies!" Piccolo was livid, the idea of becoming one with that disgusting wrinkly old weakling made his skin crawl.

"This is why I didn't tell you sooner. I knew that with your history you wouldn't want to fuse with Kami, but it may be necessary if," King Kai stopped himself before he could finish; Piccolo didn't miss his hesitation but realized he must have stopped for a reason. "Goku, why don't you go back to training, me and Piccolo have something to talk about." King Kai said.

"Ok but don't take too long, I'm getting pretty hungry." As if to prove his statement, Goku's stomach growled like an angry bear.

"Grand Kai is going to kick us off his planet if you keep eating all his food Goku." King Kai said as him and Piccolo walked towards a small pond in the distance.

When they were far enough away King Kai began to speak. "I haven't been completely honest with Goku about his son." He said. "The power levels he was surrounded by when I searched for him, they belonged to some of the most fearsome warriors in the galaxy. I'm afraid Gohan has become a slave to the most evil being in the universe."

"I understand why you kept that from Goku, but what does that have to do with me and Kami fusing?" Piccolo asked.

"The leader of the men that took Gohan is named Freeza. The Saiyans pale in comparison to Freeza's incredible strength. If Freeza wanted to it could kill Gohan with a single glance, but it would rather break his will and mold him into a killing machine. Freeza makes it a game to turn people into monsters"

"So we'll just get him back before any damage is done." Piccolo said.

"You don't seem to understand, Gohan is gone. As much as I hate to say it there's no hope of Goku getting back the same little boy that was taken from him." King Kai said with pain evident in his voice.

"Well that's too bad for Goku and his brat, but it doesn't really affect me and it isn't a good enough reason for me to join that ancient bastard Kami." Piccolo growled.

"I've been watching Freeza ever since Raditz left Earth, and it has been plotting to use the dragon balls on Namek, most likely to gain immortality. Goku's friends are on their way, but their ship isn't very fast and they'll barely beat Freeza to Namek. You and Goku are the only ones with any hope of defeating Freeza; the fate of the galaxy rests on your shoulders. If Freeza becomes immortal it would be the end of all life in the Milky Way."

"I'm already dead, why would it matter to me if everyone else died to!" Piccolo yelled. "I'm not fusing with Kami and that's final!"

"Goku is just going to keep getting stronger, and in your current state you can't gain another ounce of power. Kami is already on board with rejoining bodies, will you please just talk to him about it?"

"Fine, I'll go see the old dust bag but I won't destroy my body to make him stronger." Piccolo relented.

"Great, Kami's in Grand Kai's mansion discussing how to deal with Freeza and its army. Follow me." King Kai said. Piccolo begrudgingly followed King Kai to the palace.

(Inside the Mansion)

"Ah, it's good to see you again King Kai." Kami said as Piccolo and King Kai walked into the main room of the huge manor.

"Yes good to see you to Kami, I brought Piccolo here to talk to you about Freeza."

"Cut the crap and get to the real reason I'm here." Piccolo snarled. "We both know the whole point of me being here is to convince me to fuse with you, so convince me."

"I see, let's talk about this in the garden." Kami said. "I'd prefer to be alone to discuss something this important."

"Fine but if you try anything funny, I won't hesitate to blast your worthless body into oblivion." Piccolo growled.

As they made their way to the outdoor garden Piccolo became more and more on edge. He didn't know what Kami was planning and didn't really know why he had agreed to see the old bat. He had no intention of fusing with him, and he couldn't think of anything that could change his mind about it.

Kami sat on a bench before the crystal clear pond brimming with aquatic life and he let out a content sigh. "It's been too long since I've sat and meditated for a while." He said.

"If we came here just to watch the fish I'm leaving." Piccolo said.

"When me and your father first split it was incredibly painful, it felt like I was literally being ripped in half." Kami almost whispered. "I now see it was a mistake to remove part of myself, even if it was my evil half. Your father was nothing but evil, there was not a drop of good in his heart."

"You think I'm any different old man. Not only am I as evil as him, I'm far more powerful than he ever was." Piccolo boasted.

"Piccolo, you don't seem to understand the scope of what is happening. The young half Saiyan, Gohan, just killed over two billion people on his own. Compared to this Freeza monster you're a saint." Kami said. "He brainwashes children and turns them into mass murderers. Now is the time to be decisive and take action against the true evil that terrorizes the galaxy. Our home world is going to be destroyed and the remaining Namekians are going to die."

"I don't really care about my estranged relatives, so if that's all you have to say I think I'm done here." Piccolo turned to leave but Kami stopped him.

"Our race is almost dead, and if Freeza gets its wish Earth will follow. You can never rule over a nonexistent planet. Fuse with me and we can stop it from happening. I will be absorbed into your body and my personality will go dormant. You'll still be Piccolo, but your body will be twice as strong, and your potential will be immeasurably greater." Kami promised.

Keeping control of his body, getting rid of Kami, and getting stronger were fairly strong incentives but Piccolo was still hesitant. Suddenly Piccolo sensed Goku powering up, he was easily twice as strong as Piccolo and his Ki kept rising. Feeling Goku's strength was the final straw and Piccolo made up his mind.

"Fine I'll do the fusion, but after this Freeza character is dead I'm finishing Goku off once and for all." Piccolo announced.

"Excellent, whatever happens afterward is your business it will be your body after all." Kami said. "So how do we do it?" Piccolo asked.

"Place your hand on my arm and I'll do the rest." Kami explained. Piccolo walked over and awkwardly grabbed Kami's forearm. He waited for a second and a white light began to envelope Kami, steadily growing brighter until it was blinding.

Suddenly Piccolo was in great pain, the skin on his hand was getting hotter and his muscles felt like they would tear. He watched in curiosity and terror as Kami's outline blurred and merged with his own. His body felt like it was being crushed and his skin felt stretched, but still more and more of Kami traveled up into his hand.

Even after all of Kami's form was gone Piccolo was still in pain. His organs felt like there wasn't enough room and they were being smashed together. Abruptly the pain went away, as if two pieces of a puzzle clicked together and a beautiful pictuer was competed.

Piccolo felt the about same mentally; the only difference was his vast increase in power. His Ki seemed to be endless, Piccolo was sure he was at least equal with Goku now.

'Finally I can make some real progress,' he thought. Sensing Goku's Ki he shot off into the sky faster than he had ever gone before, and prepared for his first chance to beat the Saiyan in recent memory.

(Freeza's Flag Ship)

"You've done quite well little monkey. Not a single survivor according to the cleanup crew. I couldn't have done better myself." Freeza cooed into Gohan's ear. Gohan's spine crawled at the monsters proximity, but he stayed kneeling to keep himself from attacking the tyrant and earning a trip to the med bay.

"Yes lord Freeza, I did as you told." Gohan said. He dug his nails deeper and deeper into his palms with every syllable, until his fists were filled with blood. His self control was slipping, and the praise he was getting for committing genocide wasn't helping.

"You've been working so hard recently Gohan, why don't you take some time off. 10,000 credits have been transferred to your account for your job well done. You're free to spend them when we land to restock on supplies tomorrow, dismissed." Freeza said.

Gohan stood up to leave, and made for the door when Freeza spoke up again. "What no thank you, after all I've done for you?" It said in feigning offense.

Gohan was about to apologies when Freeza phased in front of him, its fist millimeters from his face. Gohan flinched back and fell down. Dodoria and Zarbon both broke out laughing and Freeza slowly walked back to its throne.

"I suppose I can forgive you this time, but you might not be so lucky the next time you forget your manners. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, thank you lord Freeza." Gohan quickly stammered as he hastily stormed out of the throne room. He raced back to his room, growing angrier with every step. Zarbon and Dodoria's laughter was still ringing in his head and he felt humiliated that Freeza could make him feel so weak.

'Someone's got to pay.' He seethed. Unfortunately for the poor soldier standing in the hall that someone was him. Gohan rounded a corner and ran straight into the man. "Where the hell do you think you're going runt?" The soldier yelled.

Gohan phased forward and kneed the man in the chest killing him instantly. He then started to pummel the corpse until there was only a pile of goo and fragments of armor left. The violence let out some of the half breed's anger, but he still felt the need to make someone suffer, so he headed to the training room to 'practice' on some more weaklings.

AN- I know not a lot happened I this chapter but it was integral to the story later on, and we got to see some of Gohan's new and more unstable self at the end. The next chapter has a bit more action, including some drug use and attempted rape, you have been warned. I don't know when it'll be posted though. I have testing next over the next few weeks and will be pretty involved with that, but I will try to take some time on the weekend to write it. Until then write a review telling me what you did or didn't like. I don't know if you can tell, but dialogue isn't my strong suite if anyone has a tip to help with that it would be much appreciated.


	11. Chapter 11

AN- I would like to give a special thanks to Kallu, kira86, and anonymous for the reviews and encouragement. I would also like to thank all the people that have added me to their alert/favorite lists, its good to know people are enjoying my writing. Warning- adult content including attempted rape (not graphic), but if you read this far I'm sure it won't bother you.

Chapter 11- Coping

(Freeza's Flagship)

Gohan stood in the center of the training room panting; he wiped the sweat from his brow and took in his handiwork. All around him lay the broken bodies of some weaker soldiers. The scent of blood and singed flesh filled his nostrils and coated his skin. Gohan's heart raced and his hair stood on end, he stood waiting for the next attacker to strike.

After several seconds of waiting Gohan realized they were all incapacitated. The session was over and Gohan was the last one standing. A pleasant change from his earlier training experiences, when Gohan was often dragged to the med bay for treatment.

Gohan opened the door and exited the chamber, heading for his room. He walked through the halls of the ship cautiously; rarely did Gohan allow himself to relax anymore. Gohan checked his scouter and was relieved to find the path clear of any significant or threatening power levels.

Gohan entered his room and stripped his clothes off. He kept his scouter on and headed to the bathroom. Gohan entered the shower and the scalding water began to rain from the ceiling, he started scrubbing the grime off his body. Gohan watched as the water turned black and flowed down the sloped floor into the drain, but no matter how hard he scrubbed, or how hot the water was, he didn't feel clean. When he finished his shower Gohan stepped into his room and put on a spandex body suit.

Tomorrow Freeza's ship was landing on a trade planet to stock up on supplies and luxuries for Freeza and its top ranking soldiers. They were going to be docked on the planet for two days, and he had been given permission to go off the ship. Gohan was going to spend the creds he earned in his purge, and he was looking forward to the change in scenery. Maybe if he was lucky Gohan thought he could find something in one of the markets to help him escape Freeza. However, after his hopes of escape were dashed last time, Gohan kept his excitement in check.

Gohan slowly drifted off to sleep; his only company the screams of terror and visions of violence that haunted his dreams. Gohan's nightmares were vivid, and his sleep fleeting and fitful at best.

(Freeza Planet 163)

Gohan stepped off the ship and looked upon the throngs of slaves carrying supplies to the loading bay. Crates of wine and extra armor were piled high in the ship, and fresh whores marched inside to be greeted hungrily by Freeza's men.

Gohan didn't know why so many things were being packed onto the ship and he didn't really care, but the extra food and armor caught his eye. Gohan shook off his suspicion and turned his attention to Freeza, whom was levitating in its throne out the top of the ship. The slaves all bowed to the tyrant and offered it gifts as it descended. The display made Gohan sick, so he headed off towards the market.

The smell of smoked meat made Gohan's mouth water and he swooped in for a closer look. The streets were swamped with people all clamoring to get to various shops. Many of them were dressed in rags, and Gohan could distinctly smell their odor over the food.

The crowd went silent and parted when they noticed him. Gohan attributed it to his appearance and their fear of Freeza's men. He walked through the sea of people and approached the meat vendor.

The man behind the counter was older and larger than Gohan, but was still trembling in fear as Gohan ordered his food. "What can I get you sir?" He stuttered in a thick and strange accent.

"How much are the kabobs?" Gohan was almost drooling looking at the skewers of meat roasting on the open flame.

"No charge for you sir." He said, with a little more confidence knowing Gohan wasn't there to kill him.

Gohan took several kabobs and flew off. He ate them quickly, barely allowing time for the succulent meat's flavor to touch his tong. His Saiyan appetite wasn't nearly satisfied by the small amount of food, so he set out to find something more substantial.

After making several more stops at smaller booths, Gohan found a restaurant with enough food to sate his hunger. Most of the food from the stalls had been provided for free out of fear, and the restaurant barely cost any creds, so Gohan still had plenty to spend.

No longer being hungry, Gohan began searching through the shops and vendors for anything that interested him. Most of the shops sold junk or things Gohan would never be able to sneak onboard the ship. However he had found, and bought, a book on mathematics and a holographic map of the galaxy; both could entertain him and be used to navigate through space if he could get a ship.

Gohan started to get bored with the repetitive scenery and was about to head back to the ship when he heard a deep beating thump. Intrigued by the sound, Gohan began to trace it to its source. He flew above the shops and into a section of the city that was in even greater disrepair than the markets.

The buildings were rundown, and shanties lined the streets. People bustled back and forth in the overcrowded streets, and conflicting music could be heard from several buildings. Gohan landed and began to investigate the area for anything interesting.

Gohan was approached by an aging woman dressed in rags and reeking of decay. "Hey there, looking for a good time?" she slurred. Gohan didn't understand what she meant, but a good time sounded like fun to him so he followed her into a tent.

With the better lighting Gohan could make out the woman's face and he was quite disgusted by what he saw. She had blisters around her mouth and her hair was thinning. "Fifty creds for the night, and I'll do anything you want sugar." She had few teeth, and the ones that were left were black and about to fall out.

"What do you mean?" Gohan asked, he didn't understand what kind of 'good time' she was talking about and now he wasn't sure he wanted to know.

"Here I can teach you." She said as she slipped out of her rags. Gohan nearly hurled when he saw what her body looked like. She was covered in oozing sores, the smell of which wafted across the room and filled Gohan's nostrils, making bile crawl up his throat.

Gohan turned to the entrance and hurried out. He heard someone rustling outside and exited facing the noise. There was a tall man looming in front of the tent, clearly waiting for Gohan to come out. The stranger had a large blunt pole and swung it at Gohan's head. Unfortunately for him the weapon was not only pathetically slow; it was also too weak to do any damage to Gohan. He let the bat slam against his head and smiled at his attacker.

"No, she didn't say you were in Freeza's army. Please don't kill me." He pleaded, but his cries fell on deaf ears. Gohan straightened his fingers and quickly shoved his hand through the man's chest.

He fell backward squirmed around, and then he was still. Gohan stood over him for a moment and watched the blood pool underneath him. The planets sun had set and the blood was dark, the metallic smell all too familiar to Gohan.

Suddenly the woman, whom Gohan realized was a prostitute, darted from the tent and sprinted for a building across the street. Gohan wasn't about to let her get away, so he phased in front of her and close lined her. He didn't gauge his strength very well though and ended up cleaving her head from her body.

The people in the streets were still and Gohan turned to look at all of them. He growled and formed Ki balls in each hand. They all got the message and hurried back to what they were doing.

Killing those two people left a bad taste in his mouth, and it was only a matter of time before one of the witnesses did something about it, like calling the authorities, so Gohan headed down a street. He walked into an alley and passed by some homeless people fighting over a large dead rat. Gohan exited the alley and started off to one of the nicer looking buildings. There was loud dance music blasting into the street, and Gohan could see strobe lights through the high windows.

Gohan walked to the end of the line that was formed outside the door, and once again the people parted when they noticed what he was wearing. Gohan strolled to the front of the line and was let inside by a large man in a black suit.

Inside the stimuli was nearly unbearable. Gohan's powerful Saiyan senses were bombarded with the lights and sounds, his head was sent spinning. Gohan didn't like being disoriented, and began to panic. He surveyed the room and realized the exit was now blocked by a thick crowd of people, which was impossible to get through without causing some damage. Gohan turned and saw a calm area on the other side of the room near a long table. He pushed his way toward the table and sat down.

Now that he could think, Gohan once again surveyed the room. There were no other doors, other than the he came through, and Gohan couldn't see any other way out. He was about to lose his self-control when he noticed a delicious and fruity smell coming from the drinks being served at the other side of the table. Gohan realized he hadn't eaten for a few hours and the drinks were very appetizing.

He ordered one and the waiter hurriedly brought it over, clearly fearing the wrath of Freeza's soldiers. Gohan quickly drank it and ordered another. The drinks had an exotic, sour, and fruity taste. Gohan faintly remembered a small yellow fruit from earth and had to swallow back a wave of self pity.

Soon enough Gohan had gone through a whole tray of the drinks. He was starting to feel a strange warm sensation in his stomach and his head was buzzing pleasantly. Gohan realized the waiter had been watching him for some time, clearly astonished that the young boy had consumed the amount of drinks that he had. However Gohan was feeling happy for the first time in quite a while and wasn't going to let the waiter's gawking ruin his mood. What Gohan didn't notice though, was the group of men in the corner watching him with predatory gazes.

Gohan ordered a few more drinks and the sounds in the room began to fade away. The waiter came over and brought him a new and bigger drink and pointed into the corner saying who bought it for him. Gohan couldn't care less about who paid for the drink, and he quickly gulped it down. It was stronger than the fruity blue drinks he had been drinking, and it made his chest burn.

About five minutes later Gohan was really starting to feel the drinks. Not only was he having trouble staying awake but he was about to ruin his pants. Gohan stood up and almost fell back down, the whole planet seemed to lurch back and forth making it almost impossible to walk. After teetering for a moment Gohan made off for the door. The men from the corner followed him stealthily out of the club.

Gohan headed back to the alley he came from, he hummed a lullaby his mom used to sing to him and stumbled into the darkness. Gohan pulled down his spandex pants and began to urinate on a wall. Suddenly someone grabbed him from behind and threw him down. Gohan was very drunk, but he could still make out four distinct men circled around him.

"This one is loaded, plus look how young he is. I told you guys if we waited long enough the fun would come to us." Said the one that threw Gohan down, who was clearly the leader. The others all laughed and began to move in on Gohan's small form. He realized what they were planning on doing, and Gohan wasn't one to go down without a fight.

He spun around and knocked the men off their feet. Gohan flipped to his stomach and tried to stand, but a wave of nausea hit him full force and he fell back to the ground. The leader of the pack was the first to his feet. He quickly jumped on Gohan and started to attack him.

After striking Gohan in the face a few times the man shot to his feet and began to scream. His hands were broken and bleeding, Gohan's face was harder than stone and his fists had shattered on impact. The others all stood and moved to help their friend, but Gohan was regaining his consciousness and wasn't happy that they tried to rob and rape him.

Gohan crawled into the wall he had been peeing on used it stand up. He turned back to his attackers and smirked, even if he was so drunk he was seeing trails he could still tear through these feeble men. He lurched forward and sprung upon the first one, ripping his head off and throwing it into the next man's gut, launching him into a wall. One of them pulled out a knife and tried to stab Gohan in the back, but the blade broke on impact. Gohan turned and punched him in the chest, causing it to cave in, killing him instantly.

The leader was the only one left, and Gohan was going to enjoy killing him. He stumbled over to the man, whom was curled up by the dumpster nursing his broken hands. On his way over, Gohan felt nauseous again and had to stop to clear his head. The man took advantage of the opportunity and sprinted back to the club.

Gohan followed him after the sickness passed, but now he was really furious. Gohan stood at the door of the club and thought about going in after him. However in his impaired state, Gohan thought it made more sense to just blow up the club and be done with it. Ignoring the possible consequences of damaging Freeza's property, Gohan sloppily fired a Ki blast into the club and destroyed it.

After checking his scouter for survivors, and finding none, Gohan stumbled off into the darkness. After several minutes of wandering around in the streets Gohan settled down in a trash heap and passed out. Had he checked his scouter a second time he would have realized that Zarbon was after him, but Gohan remained blissfully unaware of the impending danger.

AN- Sorry about the wait, but testing is over now so expect an update a week; after schools over the chapters might come even more often. I'm not very happy with this chapter, I rewrote it twice before I finally posted it, but in the next few chapters the plot is going to speed up, so please don't abandon me. Tell me what you think and look for the next chapter sat/sun.


	12. Chapter 12

AN- Thanks to Kallu and FloatingCow for the reviews, don't worry I wont abandon this Fic. I'm sorry I didn't update this weekend, and I'm also sorry for the recent filler but the story is about to pick up here in the next few chapters.

Chapter 12- Namek

Zarbon towered over Gohan's unconscious body. Freeza was not happy that the young Saiyan had killed its belongings, no matter how worthless they were. Although he wanted nothing more than to just kill him and be rid of a potential threat, Zarbon had been instructed to bring Gohan back to the ship unharmed. He scooped Gohan up and flew to Freeza's waiting talons.

Gohan felt the breeze on his face and began to stir from his alcohol induced slumber. "Where am I?" he slurred, clearly still intoxicated despite his Saiyan metabolism.

"We're going to see Lord Freeza about your punishment. It's quite looking forward to your excuse for destroying its property."

Gohan sobered up significantly at the mention of the evil lizard. He hadn't thought for a moment what Freeza would do to him for obliterating several blocks of its city. The torture was coming and there was no way around it for the poor young half Saiyan. Gohan accepted the fact that the unique brand of pain that Freeza loved to inflict was on its way, and he braced himself mentally and physically for the inevitable encounter.

Zarbon flew at high speeds and soon the ships silhouette was visible on the horizon. Gohan's stomach lurched as they slowed down for the landing, and he barely held back the torrent of vomit from drenching Zarbon's back.

Zarbon marched briskly down the halls of the ship towards the throne room, Gohan still slung over his shoulder. Soldiers stopped and snickered at the Saiyan's predicament, all knowing that his screams of agony would soon be filling the ship's corridors.

Zarbon stopped in front of the throne room and tossed Gohan to the ground. He was about to knock on the door when it was thrown open and Dodoria stepped out, a cheek splitting grin across his face.

"Little monkey brats in for it now isn't he."

Gohan was trying to stand but the room was spinning, and the nausea kept him from verbally retaliating. Dodoria grabbed Gohan's collar and dragged him in front of Freeza. The tyrant was slowly swirling its claw around the rim of a glass of wine and continued to do so even after Gohan was before it.

After a few more moments the lizard hoarsely barked. "Leave us."

Zarbon and Dodoria both immediately fled the room, Dodoria's smile had deflated and he dropped his head in disappointment as he left.

"Well you've been busy haven't you?" Freeza stood from its throne, something it almost never did, and stalked towards Gohan. Though Freeza didn't appear agitated, Gohan knew it was just the calm before the storm.

"I'm sorry my lord, I wasn't myself. Please forgive me." Gohan hated acting subservient, but appeasing Freeza could be the difference between life and death.

"Oh, but you were being yourself. All you Saiyans are good for is killing, and the only way to teach you dumb beasts is through pain."

Freeza phased behind Gohan and kicked him square in the back, launching him across the room. Gohan crashed into the wall, but was quickly to his feet. Freeza, however, was much faster and before Gohan could get into his stance it was back on the offensive. Freeza rammed its fist into Gohan's gut and lifted him to its eyelevel.

"You clearly haven't learned your place. I think its time I rid myself of a pest." Freeza began to charge a deadly Ki ball in its finger, when Gohan did something unexpected. He threw up.

(In the Hall)

Zarbon and Dodoria had been waiting outside the throne room for when Freeza finished up. Suddenly both of their scouters registered a power level of 50,000, and then exploded. Freeza's power had erupted, causing the whole ship to shake. Zarbon was afraid that Freeza was going to destroy the planet in a fit of rage, and he hurried back into the throne room to try and stop it.

Zarbon was surprised by the scene before him. Freeza dissipated the Ki ball and stared at Gohan as he wretched on the floor. What Zarbon had expected was to find the child already dead and Freeza throwing a tantrum. However, the tyrant was surprisingly calm.

"Zarbon prepare the ship for take off."

Freeza's demeanor startled him; the tyrant wasn't known to be calm. Zarbon was shaking in fear; he quickly headed to the control room to begin the ascent. Freeza just stood over Gohan and waited for him to finish emptying his stomach. After Gohan's final dry heave, Freeza lifted him with its tail and carried him to the viewing port.

The ship was flying higher and higher into the planets atmosphere and the speed made Gohan feel sick again, but he managed to contain it this time. When they stopped the whole outline of the planet was visible, its atmosphere was dark with pollution and there didn't appear to be any major vegetation.

"You'll need to be able to see everything I'm about to do, after all it is all for you Gohan." Freeza announced, and before Gohan knew what it meant Freeza had thrown a strange dust into his eyes. Gohan screamed in pain and almost managed to break the lizard's grip with his thrashing. However Freeza simply gripped him harder and chuckled.

"You've gotten so much stronger since I took you under my wing. It's a pity you still insist on acting out."

Gohan's eyes were filling with tears; it obstructed his vision and flowed freely down his face. Freeza's long tongue snaked its way towards him and lapped at them.

"Dodoria come and restrain this little brat, but make sure he sees what happens. He needs to know the consequences of his actions."

Dodoria jumped at the chance to inflict pain on the young Saiyan, and he swiftly gripped Gohan by his head. Freeza got back in its chair and pushed on of the buttons on the arm. The ceiling opened and Freeza levitated out into the void. Gohan was sure Freeza would die, but it seemed the freak could survive even in the vacuum of space.

Freeza began to charge another Ki ball on its finger; however this one was several times larger than the last. Gohan realized what the monster was going to do and began to struggle with renewed vigor. Dodoria proved to be too strong though and Gohan watched in horror as the Ki ball became the size of a space pod and continued to grow.

When it finally reached its full size Freeza began to cackle with barely contained madness. It launched the ball of energy at the planet. Gohan tried to look away but Dodoria forced his head against the window.

"Now observe the consequences of your insolence."

When the Ki collided with the planet an eruption of colors overwhelmed the blackness of space and Freeza began to applaud. "Wow, it's really been too long since I've stopped to enjoy the fireworks."

Gohan wanted to avenge the people that had been killed because of him, and he wanted to taste Freeza's blood. His rage began to boil over, and Gohan broke one arm free of Dodoria's hold. One was all he needed though and he fired a powerful Ki attack at Freeza. It hit him head on, and for a moment the tyrant disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Gohan was overjoyed, until Freeza's extendable pink tail shot from the darkness and latched onto his throat. Wisps of darkness quickly filled his vision and unconsciousness overtook him.

"Take this brat to the mess hall I want everyone to see what his little attack has earned him."

Dodoria carried Gohan off and smirked when he passed by Zarbon, whom was frowning quite severely despite the risk of worry lines. Freeza hovered behind Dodoria down the hall, talking quietly to itself as it went.

Freeza's display of madness deeply disturbed Zarbon. Never had the tyrant reacted so violently over something as trivial as some vomit on the floor. It seemed Freeza was loosing its last threads of sanity. Zarbon was sure the end of the Cold Empire was coming soon, and that Freeza would inevitably be the cause.

(Namek's Atmosphere)

Tien stared out the window as the ship descended. The planet was a lush green and the atmosphere was much cleaner than Earth's had been. Tien could sense several strong power levels on the planet, but he remained calm because none of them seemed to be hostile. Krillin and Yamcha on the other hand, were very jittery and nervous seeing as how several of the planets inhabitants were stronger than them.

"Will you two calm down, I'm sure they aren't that strong." Bulma said.

"That's easy for you to say Bulma, you can't sense them." Yamcha was the one with the most to worry about, after him and Bulma broke up he all but stopped training.

"Krillin will please you tell Yamcha I'm still not talking to him."

"Knock it off! You two are acting like children, and I'm not doing any babysitting after we land." Tien had been keeping Bulma from tearing Yamcha's throat out for the last few weeks. However there had still been a few close calls when Yamcha fell asleep.

The ships computer announced the landing sequence was coming to an end, and the group braced for the impact. They hit harder than expected and an alarm began to sound. Thick black smoke filled the cabin and the four earthlings had to evacuate onto the Namekian surface.

The first thing that struck Tien was the color of the grass, instead of the Earth's green the Namekian grass was a teal color. There were two suns hanging in the sky. One was about to set, but according to Bulma the planet had three suns so it never had a night.

"Krillin you take Bulma and setup a camp. Yamcha and I are going to go and start searching for the dragon balls."

Tien and Yamcha took off towards the highest power level, and Krillin took Bulma to a nearby cave to make camp. The ship had some superficial damage, but with some repairs it could make the voyage back to Earth.

(Guru's Temple)

Tien and Yamcha came to a stop above a strange shaped building that resembled some of the architecture on Kami's lookout. Standing outside was a Piccolo lookalike with an impressive power level that exceeded even Tien's. The Namekian showed no signs of hostility though. Tien and Yamcha dropped slowly and landed just in front of the powerful warrior.

"I'm Nail guardian of the grand elder Guru. He's been expecting you for some time. Please follow me inside."

Tien and Yamcha silently followed Nail into the building. There was nothing inside, but Nail hovered up into a second level and Tien and Yamcha both followed. The second floor was similarly empty, except for the huge Namekian sitting in a throne on the far side. The elderly Namekian motioned for the two earthlings to approach.

"I've been waiting for your arrival. My Name is Guru, and you could say I'm the leader of the Namekians. I know you're here for the dragon balls, and I don't feel evil in your hearts, but I still don't know why you want them."

Tien stepped forward and began to talk to Guru about their reason for the dragon balls. Yamcha eyed Nail warily and glanced at Tien every once in a while. He missed most of the conversation, but none of it seemed important to him. Yamcha just wanted the trip to be over. The whole thing had been a disaster for him, his relationship with Bulma was certainly over and at this point he didn't really care if Goku came back or not.

Yamcha was pulled from his thoughts when Guru announced that they could use the dragon balls, and that the Namekians would help with the collecting. Tien thanked him and they flew off to tell Krillin and Bulma about the news. Soon Goku would be wished back and they could go find Gohan.

AN- Sorry if this chapter was mostly filler (it seems like I do a lot of it these days) but like I said the story is about to pick up. I don't feel like the last few chapters were my best work and I really struggled to write this one. The next one is better and it actually advances the story. I also wrote a time line this week and there will be approximately 28 more chapters, making this fic around 40 chapters long (70,000+ words). Please tell me what you think.


	13. Chapter 13

AN- Thanks to jamiefin, anonymous, and of course Kallu for the reviews and encouragement. I also appreciate those of you that added my story to your alerts or favorites lists.

Chapter 13- One Last Purge

(Isolation Room)

Gohan sat panting in the empty room. He was taking a break after several hours of nonstop pushups. At least he thought it had been several hours, the passing of time wasn't the same in an isolation room. Freeza had him sent here to recover after it humiliated him in front of the whole crew.

Thinking about their jeering faces and laughter as Freeza tortured him in the center of the mess hall caused Gohan's blood to boil. Black dots filled his vision and his hair stood on end. Gohan snapped back up and furiously began to do more exercises.

He wasn't sure how many days he had been locked up, but it didn't matter. Unlike his first time in isolation, his body could handle the food deprivation. The lack of social interaction was something Gohan actually enjoyed now.

Gohan's body was healing nicely, despite the vicious beating Freeza had given him. Gohan knew that he had to be near the power levels of Freeza's top men now. The thought of vengeance made his mouth water; soon he would be able to make his move.

(Freeza's Throne Room)

Freeza was agitated; recent events were weighing heavily on its mind and now King Cold was insisting on killing the Saiyans before Freeza's molting. The process could take up to a month and Freeza would be quite vulnerable for the duration. Freeza's mood swings made it unpredictable and Cooler was coming to personally guard it during the process.

"Well Zarbon, it seems my time with young Gohan has been cut short."

Zarbon stood near the door, very on edge since Freeza blew up its planet just to teach the Saiyan a lesson.

"I'll deal with the brat at once my lord."

"No, let's have just a little more fun with him before we put him down. Fetch Dodoria for me I think he would very much enjoy seeing Gohan's final moments."

"Yes my lord."

Zarbon left the room quickly, the faster he was out of there the longer his life would be. It had become increasingly clear to him that Freeza's sanity was slipping; however the revelation that Freeza was molting had shed some light on the issue.

Freeza was more volatile than usual. The recent incident with Gohan on the trade world had been one of the biggest signs, but there had been others. One soldier hadn't bowed in the throne room and Freeza ignored it, while another walked past too loudly and Freeza had his legs removed.

Zarbon had been comforted by the fact that the mood swings were temporary. But the feeling was hollow, after some thought he realized that if Freeza's molting was anything like most creatures, Freeza would come out stronger than ever. The possibility of the psychopath being any stronger terrified him.

He didn't know how Freeza's species reproduced, but since the Cold family was genderless, he assumed it had something to do with this molting. The thought of another Freeza running around scared Zarbon even more than Freeza's already freakish strength getting bigger.

Zarbon descended the stairs into the bowls of the ship, where the whores and narcotics were kept. Typically Dodoria could be found indulging in both. The air was foul, smelling of vomit and sweat. Zarbon stepped over a passed-out soldier and entered the ships onboard whore house.

Smoke obscured his vision, but he could still see Dodoria's blob like shape in the corner. Dodoria was inhaling from a tube that jutted out of a wall, and chatting away with some of the Ginyu force.

"Dodoria, Freeza wishes to see you in its throne room."

Dodoria simply stared at Zarbon for a moment, and then broke out into a fit of laughter. Zarbon didn't understand what was so amusing, but the Ginyu force clearly got the joke and joined in with Dodoria.

"You want me to go see that insane lizard now? If I go up there I'm as good as dead."

Zarbon had always avoided drugs that weren't intended for cosmetic purposes. The idea of not being lucid on Freeza's ship seemed like a nightmare. However he knew how to handle Dodoria when he was intoxicated. Zarbon knew what buttons to push to get him moving.

"You're as good as dead if you don't obey Freeza, besides I think it wants you to deal with the youngest Saiyan nuisance."

Dodoria perked up substantially at the mention of Gohan's demise. He stood up and walked unsteadily to the door, Zarbon in tow. Guldo also seemed quite interested in the young Saiyan, and made a move to follow the two outside.

Zarbon had never cared for Guldo. The toad was not only hideous but he was pathetically weak. The only reason Guldo was even in Freeza's army was his telekinesis, which Zarbon wasn't terrible impressed with.

"If you two are killing that little prick, I want in."

Dodoria stopped and turned to Guldo anger plastered across his face. "The monkey is mine, besides I doubt you could even kill Gohan. Your power level is barely 5000."

The entire Ginyu force broke out into a fit of laughter, and Guldo's eyes began to bulge from his head. He stepped forward to challenge Dodoria when Freeza's voice rang out over the intercom.

"Zarbon if you and Dodoria aren't standing in front of me in the next thirty seconds, I'll need to find two new soldiers to fill your places."

Zarbon knew by the calm detachment tone in Freeza's voice that the tyrant was dead serious about killing him and Dodoria. He grabbed Dodoria by the shoulder and began to drag him from the room.

Guldo realized his chance to kill Gohan was quickly disappearing, and that drastic steps would need to be taken to bathe in the Saiyan's blood. Guldo took in a deep breath and held it. Time stopped and he capitalized on the opportunity by running as fast as his stubby legs could carry him out the door. On his way passed Zarbon and Dodoria, he punched both of them in their groins.

Unfortunately for Guldo he couldn't hold his breath very long and was barely to the stairs when he had to stop for air. As soon as he took in his first gulp of air he heard the satisfying yells of pain from Dodoria, for some reason Zarbon was silent.

Guldo's happiness was fleeting, as Zarbon emerged from the whore house, dragging Dodoria's dazed form behind him. Clearly his genitals weren't in the same place as Dodoria's.

"You slimy little shit! I'm going to tear your head off when I catch you."

Guldo quickly started up the stairs. If Zarbon caught him he was dead. He wasn't in particularly good shape and almost had to stop several times on the way up. By the time Guldo got to the top of the stairs Zarbon was hot on his heels Dodoria's incapacitated body slung over his shoulder.

Guldo stumbled down the hall, hopelessly trying to outrun the stronger and faster fighter. Tiring of the chase Zarbon fired a weak Ki blast at Guldo's back, knocking the toad to the ground. Zarbon swept him up and carried him on his other shoulder.

"Good luck explaining to Freeza why you made me late."

(Freeza's Throne Room)

Freeza sat on its throne absently caressing a glass of wine. Suddenly a very agitated Zarbon strolled in, Dodoria in one arm, Guldo in the other. Freeza lazily raised its eyes to meet the group and take in the scene before it.

"So you took your time fetching Dodoria."

"My lord, I went as fast as I could. But this little freak insisted on holding us back, apparently he wants a piece of Gohan just as bad as Dodoria does."

Freeza floated towards the three and began to size them up. A cruel and twisted smile snaked its way over Freeza's mouth.

"Is this true Guldo? You want a turn with the monkey."

"Yes my lord, that little brat has no respect for his superiors. I simply wanted a chance to teach the little shit some humility."

Freeza chuckled darkly and downed the rest of its wine. Freeza turned to Dodoria and pressed the button on its scouter.

"I'm disappointed in you Dodoria; your power level is lower than Gohan's. I don't know how you could possible hope to beat him in a fair fight."

Freeza turned and hovered back to the far side of the room. Its grin displayed a playful spark, but its eyes screamed of insanity.

"My lord there's no way that ape has a higher power level than me."

"Oh, but he does. And seeing as how Gohan would easily defeat you I don't think it's a good idea to send you alone."

Dodoria stepped forward to protest, but Zarbon held him back. Freeza was having mood swings and was unstable. Questioning the tyrant's authority was never a good idea, but now it would be suicide.

"I have an idea. You two can share Gohan. Take him to an empty planet and deal with him."

Freeza's mood seemed to be souring. The smile was gone and its face was once again devoid of emotion.

Guldo and Dodoria both bowed and quickly left the room. Their argument about who would kill Gohan was still audible as they made their way down the hall. Zarbon was about to leave when Freeza stopped him.

"Don't think I forgot about how long you took to bring me Dodoria. And I don't recall requesting Guldo's presence in my throne room."

Freeza pressed a button on its chair and the door closed. The lock audibly engaged and Freeza stood from its throne. Zarbon fell to his knees and waited for the worst to come.

(Isolation Room)

Gohan woke up the instant the doors opened. He fell into his stance and prepared for the intruder to attack. However the person on the other side of the door was just a nameless low level soldier.

"You have an assignment. Freeza sent orders for you to leave on a purge immediately."

Gohan was pleasantly surprised; he expected to be killed any day. Not sent on another mission. Something didn't sit right with him though. Usually he was given orders directly from Freeza, at the very least Zarbon or Dodoria.

It hit Gohan like a ton of bricks; this was how they planned to kill him. Gohan wasn't about to go down without a fight. He resolved to meet the challenge head on, if he wasn't strong enough to survive then so be it, he was already dead inside anyway.

On his way passed the soldier Gohan shoved his fist through the grunt's chest. He flung the body into the isolation room and closed the door. The feeling of power flowed through Gohan's entire body. He felt an electric charge travel up his spine. Gohan was ready for whatever Freeza had to throw at him.

AN- Sorry for the late update, I had a lot of homework this weekend. Will Gohan survive the confrontation with Guldo and Dodoria? Find out in the next chapter, which will be posted next weekend. Please tell me what you think.


	14. Chapter 14

AN- Thanks to FloatingCow and daughterofrisingson for the reviews. School is out next week for me, so updates should come more often.

Chapter 14- Marooned

Gohan sat restlessly in his space pod. His destination, a tiny dot hovering in a sea of black, grew larger by the second. Gohan knew that in a very short amount of time he would be facing a life or death battle, and his Saiyan blood was racing with excitement.

Gohan scanned the planet for significant power levels, and detected two. One was barely over 5,000, while the other posed a much larger threat. Gohan was unsurprised to find the planet largely devoid of life; it was obviously a setup by Freeza.

As the pod made its descent, Gohan experienced a moment of trepidation, the larger power level he recognized as Dodoria, it was the smaller one that had him worried. If whoever it belonged to really was one of his executioners, then there had to be reason for their presence. Knowing Freeza it couldn't be pleasant. The absence of other life forms indicated the planet had already been purged, further proving Gohan's suspicion for being there.

The atmosphere was thin and Gohan's pod announced low oxygen levels. Inhospitable conditions weren't a problem though, they actually added to Gohan's excitement. The surface became visible and Gohan checked his scouter one last time before the battle, he never wore it in a fight after his training 'accident'. The two fighters were about twenty five miles from where he would land, giving Gohan a short window to prepare himself.

The pod slammed into the surface, spraying debris in all directions. Gohan opened the door and stepped into the cloud of dust. He tossed his scouter into the pod and took to the sky. The planet had all the signs of a recent purge, the familiar smells of scorched flesh and smoke filled his nostrils. The planets higher gravity pulled at his body, but it was only a minor inconvenience.

Gohan stretched a bit, and then took off towards Dodoria and the other warrior. Gohan looked forward to giving the blob a taste of its own medicine. Soon he would be free of Freeza, and then he could bathe in the blood of the lizard and its army of psychopaths.

(Guldo and Dodoria)

Dodoria checked his scouter, Gohan was on his way. After his first reading of the Saiyan's power level he had lost some confidence. The child was quite a bit stronger than him, but with Guldo's ability to stop time he was sure they would prevail.

Gohan landed on a hill in front of him. Dodoria tensed, the child didn't look worried about the inevitable battle. In fact the smile that dominated his features indicated that Gohan was looking forward to the fight.

"I'm assuming you know why we're here. Freeza sends its regards; unfortunately you're no longer useful to us."

Gohan flew to attack Dodoria, only to be launched back by something that was too fast for him to see. It wasn't particularly powerful but it came out of nowhere, slamming into a nearby boulder.

Gohan cleared his eyes and searched for his attacker. The only other person that he could see was Dodoria, but that didn't make any sense. Not only was Gohan stronger than that blob, he was also much faster.

Suddenly Gohan was struck again, the attacks were weak but their speed made them imperceptible. He was tossed high into the sky, but Gohan quickly righted himself. He spat out a mouthful of blood and looked back where he had just been standing.

A very tired Guldo occupied the spot where Gohan had been. Gohan now knew who the other power level had belonged to. It also explained why the attacks were so weak, if Gohan had seen them coming they wouldn't have even left a mark. Gohan flew rapidly to down to Guldo, only to be intercepted by Dodoria.

The pink blob tackled Gohan in the air and slammed him into the ground. Dodoria pinned him down and head butted Gohan repeatedly. Gohan's arms were trapped, so he kneed Dodoria hard in the stomach. Dodoria immediately let go and began to cough and gag, drool dripped down his chin.

"It seems to me Freeza sent us here to rid itself of two pathetically weak lackeys."

Gohan kicked Dodoria in the chest, cracking the abomination's armor and causing him to skid across the rocky ground. Suddenly Gohan was struck with a Ki blast. It was clearly sent from Guldo with the intent to kill him, but Gohan barely felt it. All the attack managed to do was turn his attention away from Dodoria, saving the blob from a premature death.

Gohan flew to retaliate, charging his fist with a fatal amount of Ki on the way. The split second before he would have killed Guldo, the little toad took in a deep breath and held it.

'That was way too close! I'll have to be more careful." Guldo thought to himself, Gohan was frozen mere inches from his face. He kicked Gohan in the groin, one of his favorite moves, and made a beeline for a nearby boulder. Guldo almost made it to cover, when he couldn't hold his breath any longer.

Gohan swung his Ki infused fist right where Guldo's skull should have been. Instead of the satisfying feeling of severing a head, Gohan felt an intense pain in his groin. He fell to his knees and threw up. In the back of his mind Gohan knew if he stayed still for too long he was dead. After a few more dry heaves, Gohan powered through the pain and shakily stood up.

The first thing he saw was Guldo on all fours several feet away panting like a dog. Gohan didn't know how the fat little bastard was so fast, but he knew he had to be more careful. Guldo wasn't very strong or smart, however if Gohan couldn't see him Guldo could do some serious damage. Gohan realized that Dodoria had been gone for some time, and he readied himself for a sneak attack.

It came moments later. Dodoria launched a Ki blast at his feet. Gohan was knocked down, and dust obscured his vision. Dodoria phased above him and crushed Gohan's ribs with his boot. Dodoria applied more and more force until he was sure Gohan's chest would cave in.

Gohan was hardly fazed by the pressure, if this was all Dodoria had to offer it was going to be a boring fight. He charged a Ki blast and fired it into Dodoria's face. The blob screamed in pain and shot into the sky like a rocket. Gohan was pleased by the smell of burning skin left in Dodoria's wake.

Guldo had been watching from a distance. After catching his breath, he realized their current strategy wasn't working. Gohan was like a steel punching bag; no matter how hard he got hit it barely affected him. Guldo decided to try something different. He snuck towards Gohan, making sure not to draw the Saiyan's attention. When he was close enough Guldo set his plan into motion.

Gohan stood smiling and waited for Dodoria to begin his descent, when something strange happened, he lost the ability to move. Gohan began to levitate, lifted up by some unseen force. No matter how hard he struggled Gohan couldn't break free of his invisible bonds. Suddenly he heard Guldo's laughter behind him.

"Don't bother struggling, you can't get free."

Guldo floated up to Gohan's level and started to make faces at him. Gohan couldn't believe what was happening. Killed by a demented little freak wasn't how he had planned on going out.

"Everyone underestimates me, but I am on the Ginyu force for a reason. I'm a man of many talents, for instance I'm quite the artist."

Guldo pulled a marker out of his armor and began to doodle on Gohan's face. Gohan was fighting against his restraints, his muscles felt like they would tear but he kept trying. The humiliation of having Guldo draw on his face made Gohan almost blind with rage, and black dots speckled his vision.

"Enough of that, I think I'll finish you before Dodoria gets back. Maybe I'll kill him too, never been a fan of him or the blue one."

Guldo charged up a Ki ball. It grew until his hand was no longer visible, the bright energy hummed with lethal intent. Guldo slowly extended his arm, inching the ball closer to Gohan's head. Gohan couldn't move a muscle, he couldn't even blink and the intensity of the light burned his eyes.

Guldo gently guided the energy up the side of Gohan's face searing the flesh. The combination of the smell and pain made Gohan's stomach do a flip. Guldo was clearly enjoying himself, as the sadistic pleasure had him visibly and fully aroused.

Gohan couldn't think of a way to escape his fate. He stopped trying to struggle and waited for death to come. He watched as Guldo expanded the Ki and cocked his arm back to throw it. Suddenly Guldo's arm was torn from his torso by a spiked pink hand.

"Thought you'd have all the fun without me, didn't you Guldo. I heard your little plan to get me afterwards."

Guldo took in a deep breath, but Dodoria saw it coming. In a split second a huge hole appeared in Guldo's chest. The fat alien toad fell to the ground, green blood seeped from his wounds. Gohan was free of Guldo's psychic grasp and couldn't believe his luck, that stupid bastard Dodoria had just saved his life.

Dodoria seemed to come to the same realization that Gohan had. He quickly turned and fired a Ki blast at Gohan. The Saiyan was engulfed in fire and disappeared from view. For a moment Dodoria thought he got him, until a small pale fist smashed into his face and painfully sent him flying.

Gohan chased after Dodoria, laughing insanely the whole time. His victory was now assured, and Gohan could take his time with Dodoria and enjoy the kill. Sure he would have liked to have taken Guldo out to, but he could only get so lucky.

Gohan fired a Ki blast that exploded in front of Dodoria, causing the pink alien to abruptly change directions and fly back to Gohan. He kicked Dodoria in the face, launching him into the ground. The impact created a fair sized crater and Gohan could hear Dodoria's screams of agony. Gohan fired another Ki blast into the crater and the screams stopped.

After waiting a few minutes for Dodoria to emerge, Gohan figured that he was dead. Gohan was exhausted, but there was still work to be done. The pods that Guldo and Dodoria had arrived in still had their tracking chips, and Freeza would be expecting them to back in a few days. If Freeza thought they were on their way, Gohan would have some extra time to escape. He took off to send the pods back to the flagship.

Deep in the crater Dodoria was regaining consciousness. He heard the sound of Gohan leaving, and waited a moment before crawling out. Dodoria knew he was dead no matter what he did; even if he escaped Freeza would kill him for allowing Gohan to live. The only thing left for him to do was to make sure the Saiyan had no way off the planet.

Dodoria flew as fast as his battered body would take him. He headed to where Gohan had landed and searched for the Saiyan's pod. Dodoria went to work sending the pod back to Freeza. It would expect the space pod to be destroyed, so sending it back would certainly warrant am investigation.

(Dodoria and Guldo's landing site)

Gohan watched as the two decoys flew high into the sky. The distraction wouldn't by him much time, but the head start could be just enough for Gohan to find a new ship. Gohan's hopes of freedom gave him a second wind and he began the flight back to his pod.

Halfway back Gohan heard a familiar sound, another pod starting up. He looked up to the sky and saw a third space pod leaving the atmosphere. Gohan started to panic; his only way to escape had just disappeared into the clouds. He was at a loss, there was no way off this rock, and in a few days Freeza would send a team to investigate what happened to Guldo and Dodoria.

"Dodoria! You'll pay for that!"

Gohan powered up and blasted to where his pod had been. Dodoria wasn't dead, but he was going to wish he was. Gohan was livid; Dodoria had sealed both of their fates and now that disgusting freak would pay.

Dodoria sat patiently and waited for the Saiyan to arrive. Gohan appeared as a blue sphere against the planets dark sky. He sped towards Dodoria at impossible speeds. Dodoria knew there was no hope of victory, and accepted the fact that Gohan would kill him. Not like it mattered anyway, with Freeza's sanity slipping they were all dead soon anyway.

Gohan tore through the sky and collided with Dodoria. He threw punch after punch into Dodoria's stomach. His knuckles split with the force, and Dodoria's armor cracked, then shattered. Still Gohan didn't let up. He kept punching until his fists penetrated Dodoria's hard shell, and red slime oozed from the hole.

Dodoria didn't even make an attempt to fight back, there was no reason to. Even when his entrails spilled out onto the ground he didn't make a move. The lack of action further fueled Gohan's rage; the least he could do was give Gohan a good fight. Gohan stopped punching and stood over Dodoria's form, the ground was quickly becoming crimson.

Dodoria started laughing, but it quickly deteriorated into a fit of coughing. Blood sprayed Gohan's face, and he wiped it off in disgust. Dodoria continued to wheeze and smile as Gohan charged a Ki ball to finish him off.

"You may have killed me, but the remaining Ginyu force should be on their way soon. Good luck with Freeza's most powerful men you monkey piece of trash."

Gohan incinerated Dodoria; however there was far less joy in it than he had hoped for. The threat of inevitable death made the victory hollow. There was surly no may off the barren planet, and even if there was the Ginyu force would hunt him down. Gohan had nothing else to do but prepare for their arrival. Even if there was no hope for victory, he would go down swinging.

AN- Well there's Chapter 14. I hope you guys liked it; I'm never sure when I post these things, but maybe I am being pessimistic. Please tell me what you think.


	15. Chapter 15

AN- Thanks to Kallu, spiritforcelink, Lexor, unwanted half saiyan-demon, cyanbilbo, Wild-Dog84, and both anonymous reviewers for the reviews. Sorry for the delay between updates. I was significantly busier than I had anticipated.

The direction I have chosen to take Freeza and its race might seem a little strange. It may be a bit of a turn off to some readers, but it is the artistic direction I have chosen to take. Feel free to write a review or PM me with any problems or suggestions. Most of the questions that I left opened will be answered in later chapters.

Chapter 15- The Ginyu Force

Gohan stood beside Dodoria's smoldering remains and stared into the empty crater. By now Freeza's men had to have realized that all three pods sent back were empty. Gohan doubted that Dodoria and Guldo's absences would be written off; Freeza would surely send someone to investigate. In his dying breath Dodoria had promised that that someone would be the Ginyu Force, Freeza's top squad. Gohan knew that he wasn't strong enough to defeat them head on, but he wasn't about to just let them kill him.

Gohan clenched his fists tightly and turned his gaze to the sky. He had come too far and fought too hard to be killed on some crappy planet without exacting his revenge. There was no way he would let the lizard's lackeys defeat him, not without first getting a piece of Freeza itself.

Gohan's stomach growled loudly, rousing him from his revenge fantasies. He realized he hadn't eaten in quite a few days, and would need to soon if he was to keep his strength up for the inevitable battle. Gohan took off search of food, the planet had recently been purged and the bodies were sure to be piled up in the planets cities. Gohan headed towards the nearest pillar of smoke on the horizon.

(Freeza's Flagship)

Cooler ran its purple fingers over the metallic sphere Freeza was enclosed in. The molting was a time of transformation and "birth" for their race. It was also a period of vulnerability, both from outside forces and from their own power. If Freeza hadn't been contained its power surges would have ripped the ship apart. Which wouldn't have been an issue for the Colds, but it would have been problematic for the crew.

Cooler had wanted to just let Freeza handle its own business and Freeza had agreed, but King Cold had insisted on it safeguarding its "younger sibling". Cooler hated to think of itself and Freeza as being siblings, not only because Cooler despised Freeza but because they were really just replicas of King Cold with scrambled DNA. But Cooler couldn't think of a better word for what they were to each other.

There had been a word for what their relationship was in the language of the Cold's ancestors, but it was now lost. Their entire culture had been destroyed over 750 years ago during the Cold family's rise to power, in the process of which their family killed off the rest of their race.

Once during its youth Cooler became curious about their ancestors, and questioned King Cold about them. After a few vague answers King Cold's patience wore thin, and it made it abundantly clear that the subject was not to be brought up again.

During their conversation Cooler had learned that their race once prospered and dominated galactic politics with intelligence and diplomacy, instead of brute force. But during their rise to power they had destroyed their home world and replaced the galactic republic with a monarchy. King Cold seemed proud that it was their ancestors that got rid of their species "weakness". Freeza too had seemed happy that the rest of their race had been exterminated.

Remembering the incident made Cooler want to kill both of them; King Cold for being a fool and Freeza for being a complete psychopath. Cooler wasn't as worried about King Cold, it only had about fifty years left before its strength started to decline and then Cooler could take its place as supreme ruler.

Freeza on the other hand was a direct threat to Cooler's empire. The obvious mental instability, the sick games it played with its slaves and the early start of its molting were just a few examples of the danger Freeza posed to the Cold family, more importantly his future as emperor. Cooler was not about to be usurped because Freeza molted early, and gained an insane power boost.

Cooler created a small but potent Ki ball and contemplated snuffing Freeza while it napped, but was interrupted by a knocking on the throne room door. Cooler crushed the ball in its fist and pressed the button to open the door. One of Freeza's low level soldiers tentatively entered and bowed.

"Lord Cooler, one of Freeza's squads didn't return from their mission."

"That sounds like something you should take up with Freeza when it awakes."

"Lord Cooler, the squad was dealing with the Saiyan problem."

Cooler didn't feel like dealing with Freeza's private affairs, the Saiyans weren't something that seemed of great importance to it. King Cold had ordered that the remaining few be wiped out though. Cooler decided it was an issue worth waking Freeza over.

It stepped over to the sphere and pressed one of the buttons on its side panel. The top of the container opened and warm steam began to poor out. Cooler lifted the lid, and then pulled the off layer of stringy puss, exposing Freeza's small form which was curled into a ball. After a few moments of being in the opened air it began to stir. Freeza stretched, then stepped out of the ball and took in its surroundings.

Cooler was disgusted with Freeza's appearance. Freeza's skin was grey and cracking. There was a layer of slim covering its entire body, and it reeked like something died. A strange heat emanated off Freeza's body, unnatural for members of the Cold family, whom were named for the temperature and their demeanor.

"What could be so important as to wake me before my molting is complete?"

The soldier was shaking uncontrollably now. Even Cooler felt a small twinge of empathy for the doomed man, of course not enough empathy to spare him from Freeza's wrath. Cooler shoved the soldier forward to explain the situation.

"Lord Freeza, Dodoria and Guldo failed in their task to kill the Saiyan child."

"What! You mean to tell me that those two idiots lost to the monkey. I should have dealt with this myself. Where is Gohan now?"

Cooler felt the need to step forward before things got out of hand. If Freeza went out now its men would smell the weakness and pounce. Not that they would stand a chance, but if Cooler killed Freeza's crew it would be responsible for replenishing the ranks. And if Freeza some how died, King Cold would blame Cooler.

"Why not just send your best men to handle it. Going out in this state is just asking for a mutiny."

"Fine, send the Ginyu force to deal with it." Freeza seemed suddenly distant, its eyes glazed over with disinterest. "But have them bring the brat back here alive. I want a few words with the young Saiyan." Freeza yawned, and then crawled back into the metal bubble.

Cooler disagreed with the decision to bring the Saiyan back, seeing as how it would just complicate the matter. But Cooler could see no reason to provoke Freeza by having its pet killed; besides maybe if the Saiyan caused some damage King Cold would reprimand Freeza. Cooler smiled then pressed a button and the pod's lid locked into place. A gas was then released on the inside putting Freeza back to sleep.

"I'll go have the Ginyu force dispatched at once sir.'

"No, I'm afraid that after seeing Freeza in that state you can no longer be allowed to live."

The soldier tried to run, but Cooler was immeasurably faster. The man was nothing but dust before he had even made it six feet towards the door. Cooler left the throne room and went to send the Ginyu force to fetch the Saiyan. It made a mental note to have them keep the monkey alive.

(Back on the Planet)

Gohan had been sitting around for two days waiting for his executioners to arrive. He figured the Ginyu force would have been there by now, and the waiting was making him restless. At this point he was beginning to think he would be left alone, doomed to slowly starve to death once the piles of corpses became inedible. Not that the bodies were easy to consume now, but soon they would no longer qualify as food.

Gohan had his strategy all figured out. He was going to destroy their scouters, then escape into the planets vast wastelands. Once night fell he would sneak his way back to their pods and sabotage all but one. If he was lucky he would have a few days until more pods could be sent, giving Gohan a serious head start to where ever he was going.

Gohan had decided not to go back to Earth. He couldn't live with himself if he led these monsters back to his mom. Being truly honest with himself, Gohan couldn't stand what his family would think of what he had become. Was he really any better than Freeza? Gohan had slaughtered countless people. Some deserving, but many were innocent. Men, women, and children had all met their ends at his hands.

Gohan looked down at his hands and noticed that his gloves were caked with built up dirt and coagulated blood. He slipped them off for cleaning. The whiteness of his hands caught his eye and he began to carefully look them over. They were small and clean, much cleaner than he had thought they would be. There wasn't a speck of dirt past the line where his gloves cut off. Gohan turned his hand over and looked at his palm. It was smooth and free of any blisters or calluses.

The cleanliness reminded Gohan of the sterile atmosphere on Freeza's ship. Suddenly Gohan felt like he was trapped in a confined space. He began to feel very sick, the world was spinning very fast and his hand was getting further and further away. Black dots invaded the corners of his vision and a strange yet familiar smell pervaded his nostrils, the smell of battle. Gohan sat down and a flood of images washed over him.

Gohan had his hands were wrapped around a young women's throat; a thin line of blood was making its way down her pale skin. She was turning purple and her eyes were bulging out of her head. The sounds of screams and explosions in the background faded away as Gohan focused in on the girl. His grip tightened and her neck began to make popping sounds. The trickle of blood was now a thick black flow, dripping down his gloves and growing into a puddle at his feet. Gohan found himself salivating uncontrollably, but it didn't matter. The thrill of taking a life caused a flood of animal instincts to over power Gohan's higher order thought processes. He howled loudly and his hair stood on end.

As the last light faded from the woman's eyes something finally clicked in Gohan's brain. The young women looked very much like his mother. Her eyes were bloodshot, her neck a sickening mess of dark bruises, and her head hung at an unnatural angle, but she still bared an uncanny resemblance to ChiChi.

Gohan dropped her, finally coming back down from the adrenaline high. He felt sick; disgusted that he had taken such pleasure in murder. Gohan stared down at the corpse, barely containing his nausea. He fell to his knees and started to cry. The girl was now his mother, exactly how he remembered her. Gohan cradled his head in his hands and closed his eyes tightly.

The sensations of his memory started to drift away. Gohan opened his eyes and found that he was back on the planet waiting for the Ginyu force to kill him. The hallucination had been incredibly vivid and draining. Gohan passed out from emotional and physical exhaustion.

(Sometime Later)

Gohan heard footsteps approaching. His first instinct was to stand and face the intruder, but he held himself back. If it was the Ginyu force then their scouters would show right where he was, so there was no point in running. Gohan feigned sleep and waited for a chance to attack.

"There he is, told you he was sleeping."

"Yeah, I guess I owe you five hundred creds."

Gohan recognized the first voice as Jeice and the second as Recoome. He knew he couldn't beat either of them in a fair fight, so he waited for the right moment to strike.

"I get to wake him up."

"Rock paper scissors, winner gets to wake him."

Gohan waited until they started the game, and used the opportunity to launch his surprise attack. He stood up and fired two quick Ki balls at their faces, and then he flew away as fast as he could. Behind him Gohan could distinctly hear laughter, but he ignored it and kept going.

Suddenly a bright blue streak flashed past him. Gohan briefly wondered what it was before it slammed into him. The force caused part of his armor to shatter and he plummeted to the ground. Gohan righted himself just in time for a red streak to collide with his back. He crashed into the rocks below.

Gohan sat in the rubble and tried to catch his breath. He coughed up some blood and regained his composure. Escape wouldn't be an option; they were much faster than he had expected. Gohan's only course of action was to face them head on, a proposition that he wasn't particularly optimistic about.

Gohan was prematurely forced out of hiding by a series of weak Ki blasts that blew up everything around him. He ran as fast as he could, and the balls of energy exploding just behind him. He sped up, but they kept gaining on him.

Gohan tried to retaliate, however he was too slow. Dozens of small energy attacks struck him, throwing him into the air and burning his exposed skin. Recoome came out of nowhere and snatched him out of the sky. Holding Gohan in a vice grip, he began to float to the ground and towards a waiting Captain Ginyu.

"Well if it isn't young Gohan. I'm impressed that you killed both Dodoria and Guldo, however Freeza is less appreciative of your abilities."

Gohan tried to get free, but Recoome was freakishly strong. Gohan twisted his head and sunk his teeth deep into the giant fighter's arm. Recoome simply chuckled and squeezed harder.

"Little shits trying to bite me."

"Just make sure you don't squeeze him to death, Freeza wants us to bring him back alive."

When Gohan heard that Freeza wanted him alive he renewed his struggle. There was no way he would go back to that monster alive. Recoome started to squeeze so hard that Gohan turned blue. Captain Ginyu realized what Gohan was trying to do; he wanted the less intelligent Recoome to kill him.

"Let up a bit Recoome, if you kill him Freeza will be most displeased."

"Sorry boss, I didn't want him to get free."

Recoome loosened his grip a little too much, and Gohan took advantage of it. He reached up and jammed his fingers into Recoome's eyes as hard as he could. The colossal fighter screamed in pain and dropped Gohan.

Gohan turned and fired a blast at Captain Ginyu. To his surprise the captain didn't even attempt to block or dodge it, he simply stood there and took the attack full force. Gohan smiled, clearly the great Captain Ginyu wasn't as strong or smart as Freeza made him out to be. Gohan's smile was wiped from his face moments later though when Captain Ginyu emerged from the explosion without a scratch.

"Nice try, but I'm afraid that you couldn't hurt me even if I wanted you to."

Gohan seemed to take this as a challenge and unleashed a barrage of his most powerful Ki attacks. Smoke and dust filled the air, obscuring Gohan's view of his target, but he kept up the onslaught. Gohan finally ceased the assault when he could no longer breathe through the debris.

"You see that Burter?"

"Yeah, the captain's so much stronger he didn't even need to block the attacks."

Gohan overheard the exchange and prepared a more potent Ki ball to do some real damage, when Recoome unexpectedly returned to the conflict. He slammed his massive foot into Gohan's side, causing several of the young Saiyan's ribs to crack. Not letting up, Recoome began to bash Gohan over and over again with his powerful fists.

Gohan made a few feudal attempts to defend himself, but Recoome was in a whole other league. Gohan brought his arms up to protect his head from a kick, and his forearms were shattered by the force of the impact.

Gohan screamed in pain, and Recoome pressed the attack. He continued to punish Gohan, breaking many of his bones, and causing internal bleeding. Recoome kicked Gohan in the chin and sent him flying into the air. He then phased in front of Gohan and axe kicked him back to the ground.

Recoome landed next to Gohan and charged up a Ki ball to finish him off. He was about to deal the final blow to Gohan when Captain Ginyu came to the rescue. The captain kneed Recoome hard in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. Recoome was prone to fits of rage, but he usually calmed down after some time unconscious. Captain Ginyu then walked over to inspect Gohan's injuries.

Gohan lie dying on the ground. A few ribs protruded unnaturally from his chest, stretching the skin almost to its limit. Gohan's arms were grotesque messes of broken bones and gashes. A long laceration marred his forehead and made his skull visible beneath.

Captain Ginyu knew that if he didn't act fast Gohan would die, and if Gohan died Freeza would be upset to say the least. Cooler had made it clear that Freeza wasn't in its right mind at the moment, so following its orders to the letter would be the best way to assure their survival.

"Burter, Jeice, get the pods over here. I can't move the brat in this condition, and if Recoome killed him we will need two new members."

"Can't we just let him die, tryouts are fun."

"Do as I say Jeice, besides we will still have to fill Guldo's spot."

"Yes captain. Come on Burter, I guess Recoome will owe me for more than just the bet earlier."

Gohan tried to move, but for some reason he couldn't feel anything below his waist. His arms were also useless, and his eyes were too filled with blood to see anything. He was used to pain, but this pain was different. It was like all of his other senses had been shut off so that it was the only thing his brain could process.

Captain Ginyu noticed Gohan trying fruitlessly to escape. It didn't bother him that the Saiyan was injured, but in order to preserve the lives of his men he put the child out of its misery. Captain Ginyu pressed his sharpened finger nail into Gohan's forehead and used his mental powers to trap the Saiyan within its subconscious. It would provide some security, and keep the child from further injuring itself. Captain Ginyu would be able to release Gohan from his psychological shackles once they reached Freeza's flagship.

Burter and Jeice arrived with the Pods following closely behind. Captain Ginyu used his telekinesis to carefully lift Gohan into an empty pod. He hooked the Saiyan up to the life support system, set the pod's coordinates for Freeza's ship, and then launched Gohan off into space.

The connection between their minds that Captain Ginyu made to keep the Saiyan immobile was a loud buzzing in the back of his head, but it got quieter the further away Gohan got.

Captain Ginyu made sure that Recoome was secured in his pod, and then the Ginyu force took off trailing closely behind Gohan. Captain Ginyu was quite pleased with the mission; it had gone off, more or less, without a hitch. Freeza would be unlikely to kill him for a job well done. The pods knockout gas slowly put him into a dreamless sleep, his only companion the dull white noise from Gohan's subconscious.  
Half way through the trip something happened that was alarming enough to wake him from his drug induced coma. The noise from the connection almost completely disappeared. Captain Ginyu was so startled by it that he almost overcame the drugs entirely; however they were designed get more potent the harder you fought. He searched his mind to the best of his abilities, and was relieved to find that Gohan was still connected.

'At least he's still alive. Strange though, he feels much further away.' Captain Ginyu wasn't able to think about it any more though. The drugs were turned up so high that they would have killed someone with a weaker body.

(Gohan's Mind)

Gohan wandered endlessly through a see of darkness. Not really flying, but he wasn't quite walking either. Every once and a while some strange sound would play or a distorted image would appear, only to disappear moments later.

"Am I dead?"

The words echoed about, but there was no reply.

"No, if I was dead I'd be in hell. So where am I?"

Suddenly the darkness became just a grey fog. Dull rays of light were streaming in from all directions. Gohan found his feet on solid ground and began to wander in a distinct direction, instead of the vertigo he had been traveling through.

"Maybe this is hell, just nothingness for all eternity."

"No, not dead, not in hell, just trapped."

Gohan turned, the voice sounded like it was behind him. There was nothing there, nor was there a place for someone to hide.

"Who said that? Where am I?"

"We are you, you are within your consciousness."

Gohan turned again, only to find no one behind him, just an endless stretch of grey as far as he could see.

"Explain yourself! Where am I really?"

"Travel the path, find the answers we seek."

Suddenly some of the fog parted near his feet, uncovering what appeared to be a concrete sidewalk.

"Why should I trust you?"

No one answered.

"Hello!"

Realizing he wasn't going to get a reply, Gohan set off down the walkway. He stuck one foot out in front of himself and was stunned by what he saw. He was naked, but more importantly he was semi transparent.

"I must be out of my mind or dead. Either way I guess I have nothing else to lose."

(Freeza's Flagship)

Captain Ginyu groggily opened his eyes. Everything was fuzzy and he didn't know where he was. There was a voice calling his name, and it felt like he was being shaken. Suddenly everything came back to him, the mission, Gohan's condition, and waking up during the trip.

Captain Ginyu shot up like a rocket, knocking Jeice off him, and began frantically searching for Gohan's mental link. When he found it he started to panic. Gohan was several light years away at least, and the signal was almost non-existent.

"Where is he?"

"Captain we've been trying to wake you for five minutes, Gohan is missing."

"No, No! He can't be gone. He was almost dead and he was stuck in the pod traveling through space. Saiyans can't survive in a vacuum. Where could he have gone?"

"Sir, the pod is fully intact. The life support system is still engaged. It's like he just vanished into thin air."

Captain Ginyu's stomach dropped like a ball of lead. If Gohan wasn't in the pod, then Freeza would be furious. It wasn't exactly known for its forgiving nature.

"We have to find him!"

"Captain, I opened the pod myself. He wasn't in it."

Captain Ginyu got out of his pod and rushed over to Gohan's. Aside from the small pool of blood on the floor, and the breathing mask that hung from the ceiling, the pod was empty. He slumped to the ground and started to shake.

"You know what this means Jeice? We're doomed."

AN- There's chapter 15, again sorry about the wait. I hope I have more time to update soon, but my job is a little more demanding than I thought it would be. I also hope the way I made the Colds doesn't turn anyone off. Please tell me what you think.


	16. Chapter 16

AN- Thanks to Kallu, FloatingCow, and anonymous for your reviews. It's good to know that the way I portrayed the Cold family didn't scare too many people away.

Chapter 16- One-sided Reunion

(Freeza's Flagship)

Cooler was at a loss. Freeza only punished one of its men for their failure. The freakish soldier with the swollen cranium and purple skin was no longer among the ranks, though he still lived, now a rather pathetic existence. In his place the red skinned one had been promoted. Cooler would have gotten rid of every member of the 'Ginyu force' if it were its choice, the failure to deal with the Saiyan problem was unforgivable.

King Cold had been informed of the situation, and was on its way to handle the Saiyans personally. However there had been another major development in the situation. The monkey prince and his lackey were supposed to be on a series of purges in a highly populated solar system, but they had just committed treason and abandoned their post. They were headed to a sparsely populated and worthless sector of the galaxy, the only planet in any nearby system that supported sentient life was a tiny worthless rock the natives called Namek. It had been scouted before, but Freeza deemed it a waste of time. Clearly Vegeta had other ideas.

Cooler was pleased with how Freeza's molting had gone. It seemed that Cooler's only competition for the throne had defective genes. Freeza had emerged from its molting unchanged. In fact, to Cooler's delight, Freeza seemed significantly weaker and almost frail. Of course Freeza's power level still far exceeded any of its men; nevertheless Cooler now had a clear advantage. King Cold wouldn't admit it until Cooler surpassed it as well, but that time was soon approaching.

Cooler stared out the viewing port and smiled. Very soon the entire galaxy would belong to it. Cooler swirled its claw around the rim of its wine glass, it had been waiting longer than most other species entire lifecycles, and it was more than wiling to wait a little longer.

Freeza stalked Cooler silently. It observed from the shadows as Cooler amused itself, clearly ecstatic that Freeza appeared weaker. And it was weaker, its molting hadn't exactly gone as it had expected. Something had changed though, something was different inside it. Freeza didn't fully understand what it was now, but it wasn't the same thing as Cooler or King Cold. Its transformation wasn't complete yet, but it had an idea of where to find a catalyst for its ascension. Freeza was surprised to find itself happy that not all of the Saiyans were gone. It was quite intrigued by one of their little legends.

(Namek)

Goku was in shock. After he and Piccolo had been wished back to life with the first two wishes, they wished for Gohan. They had known that Gohan wasn't dead; King Kai would have said something. Goku and Piccolo had both wanted to wish for Gohan's location, they were obviously eager for another shot at Raditz. But Bulma convinced them to simply wish Gohan to their location to avoid further bloodshed.

Goku's excitement to see his son again had almost boiled over as the Namekian elder told the dragon what their final wish was. The Dragon's eyes glowed for a moment indicating that the wish was granted, then it disappeared and the balls flew away. Goku quickly began searching for his son's Ki, not detecting anything he became very worried.

Goku was confused and began to fly back to the Grand Elder's temple to ask for advice, when suddenly he heard Bulma scream. Goku turned around and immediately dropped from the sky. At Bulma's feet sat a broken and bloodied mass of flesh and hair.

Goku stared for a moment, and then it suddenly became clear that this was Gohan After that everything turned into a blur for Goku. Piccolo was the first to regain his composure, quickly having a Namekian healer stabilize Gohan. Only after the bleeding had stopped and he was rolled over could Goku even vaguely recognize his son's face. Gohan was very different than before, from the muscle tone to the battle armor, everything about him screamed warrior. Everyone realized something was wrong after Gohan didn't open his eyes. The healer said there was nothing more he could do, and Bulma took over.

Bulma had a capsule with a sterile room and medical supplies in case they ran into trouble hunting for the Dragon Balls, and she wasted no time having Gohan strapped into a gurney. Goku was starting to regain his senses now, the shock of seeing his son in this condition was rapidly turning into burning anger at whoever would have done this to him. One name in particular came to the forefront of his mind, Raditz.

Goku felt nothing but hatred for his so called brother, the man that killed him and kidnapped his son. He loathed the act of taking a life, but felt a strange uncontrollable urge to spill Raditz's blood. Unconsciously Goku began to raise his Ki. It went unnoticed at first, but everyone that could sense energy quickly realized something was wrong. The ground started to vibrate and the air heated up.

Piccolo started to approach Goku to calm him down, when he felt something different in Goku's usually positive Ki. He sensed the bloodlust and rage in Goku's energy. Piccolo didn't know what to do. On one hand if he stopped Goku from loosing control he might not cross the threshold into a new and unheard of level of strength. On the other if Goku did loose control and gain some sort of supernatural power, it could very well be the end of the whole planet. Piccolo could feel something incredible bubbling just beneath the surface, he resolved to wait and see what Goku did. If he started acting violently to the Namekians Piccolo would stop him as non-lethally as possible.

Goku's Ki continued to rise, far past his previous limit. His hair started to stand on end and a golden aura erratically sprung up around him. Piccolo started to question his decision to let Goku power up on pure rage, but it seemed too late to stop him now.

Tien and Krillin had been watching passively from a distance since Goku and Piccolo were wished back. After sensing their Ki levels they had both started to feel a little inadequate. Now, however, they felt the need to help. Krillin was the first to try and help, he flew cautiously towards Goku.

"Goku, you have to calm down!" Krillin was shaking in fear, Goku was radiating more pure energy than he had ever felt.

Goku ignored Krillin's pleas to stop. Only when Krillin continued to approach him did Goku acknowledge he heard him. Goku turned towards Krillin and stared at him with pupil-less eyes. Krillin stopped dead in his tracks, feeling like it may have been a spot of poor judgment on his part to try and stop a super powered alien. Suddenly, Goku was barreling down on him.

Goku yelled something unintelligible, to Piccolo it almost sounded like he was calling for Raditz. Goku punched at Krillin, whom barely had time to block to powerful attack. Krillin's defenses were no match for Goku however, and he was sent flying off into the distance.

Goku then turned his animalistic gaze to Tien. He phased to the three eyed fighter and they began ferociously exchanging blows, Goku clearly having the upper hand with much more raw power. It was over quickly though, with Goku emerging victorious. Piccolo finally realized that he needed to step in when Goku began charging an attack to finish Tien off.

Piccolo phased to Tien and swatted the ball away before it could reach him. He tossed a quick Ki ball of his own at Goku, then he phased behind the saiyan. Goku absorbed the full force of the attack, barely being damaged by it at all. Piccolo had only intended for it to serve as a distraction though, and had been gathering more energy behind Goku's back. He released it in a powerful burst that struck Goku hard and knocked him down.

The pain from the attack seemed to bring Goku back to his senses, his Ki dropped back down to its normal level. Piccolo tentatively placed a hand on Goku's arm and helped him up. Suddenly, the saiyan embraced him and started to sob.

"I, I couldn't protect him."

Piccolo was never one for displays of emotion, but it seemed that Goku needed some kind of release. He figured a shoulder to cry on was better than letting Goku murder his friends, Piccolo didn't think Goku could live with himself after something like that.

"It's ok Goku. You have him back now. He's hurt though, and you need to go see him."

"You're right Piccolo. I don't know what came over me. That power was just too much. Gosh, I hope Krillin and Tien are alright."

"I'll check up on them, you just go see your son."

Goku brushed himself off, and then made his way to the medical tent. Piccolo could sense that Krillin and Tien were fine, minus the cuts, bruises, and damaged pride. He was more concerned with Goku. In the time he had spent training with the saiyan he had never known him to be violent without a reason. Whatever the power was Piccolo knew two things; Goku could be either a great asset or an even greater liability.

Bulma looked over the monitors and took some notes on Gohan's condition. He was stable; the Namekian healer had fixed all his external injuries. His brain, however, was in overdrive. Bulma had never seen anything like it. His neurons were firing in two distinct patterns, almost like there were two people with competing thought patterns. She considered using a sedative to calm him down, but since he was already in a coma like state drugs might have done more harm than good.

Bulma was adjusting the IV fluid drip when Goku came in to check in his son. She had heard the commotion outside, and completely understood his reaction to seeing Gohan in that state. The young boy was a mess; broken bones, burnt skin, and massive blood loss. Bulma had only met Gohan briefly, but from what she could remember he was a very shy and sweet boy, she couldn't understand how anyone could inflict those wounds on a child.

From what Bulma could tell though, he wasn't that same little boy anymore. Gohan was covered in battle scars, far too many for a child his age. His armor was shattered, but its style closely resembled Raditz's. Goku must have noticed as well, judging by the way he was staring at the patterns and shoulder spikes. Bulma watched as emotion after emotion battled for dominance on Goku's face. Finally, sorrow won out and a few tears slid down his cheeks.

"We were too late weren't we?"

"It's ok Goku, you did all you could."

"That's not true. If I had been…" Goku's shoulders slumped and his gaze dropped to his hands. "If I had been stronger Raditz never would have taken him."

Bulma didn't know what to say. He was right; if he was stronger when Raditz came Gohan would never have been taken. Instead of trying to comfort him with words she pulled him into a tight embrace, and his tears began to flow more freely. He started to shake and sob, Bulma hugged him through

"I don't know what to do. I don't know how I'm going explain this whole situation to ChiChi."

"Its all going to be ok Goku, you have him back now. ChiChi loves you both and she just wants her family."

After his brief moment of weakness, Goku quickly straightened himself out. He wiped the tears from his face and walked over to Gohan's bed. "Is Gohan alright?"

"Physically he seems ok, a little dehydrated. The Namekian healed his wounds as well as any senzu bean."

"Then why didn't Gohan wake up."

Bulma regretted not being able to give Goku a straight answer, but she didn't fully understand Gohan's state herself. "I'm sorry. I don't know why he won't wake up. But I'm going to do everything I can to bring him back to you, all the way back."

"Thank you Bulma. I don't know how I'll ever be able to repay you."

Bulma hugged Goku again and started to leave, pulling a pack of cigarettes out of her lab coat's pocket as she went. "Don't worry about it Goku it's the least I can do, after all you and ChiChi are like family to me."

Goku pulled up a chair next to Gohan and prepared to wait by his side until he awoke. He didn't know how long it would take; Gohan had undergone some serious trauma. But he was prepared to stay beside him the whole time.

(Somewhere in Space)

Vegeta stood in the spaceship and stared out at stars as they whizzed past. This ship was much faster than the pods Freeza provided. Perhaps it was a good thing that that oaf Nappa blew theirs up, and forced them to steal this ship. This way they would arrive at Namek much faster.

It was a little ahead of schedule, but Vegeta wasn't about to take any chances with Freeza. He overheard the orders to kill Raditz and his nephew. Vegeta chuckled thinking about it, it was a shame that he and Nappa were the only two left. But luckily that freak Freeza was so excited to be rid of them it hadn't even bothered to encrypt the message, giving him quite a head start.

Vegeta had immediately set the plan into motion. Even without the tracking chips Freeza's men could project their trajectory. However, with the increased speed he would have a decent amount of time to secure the Dragon Balls, and his immortality.

Vegeta wasn't so sure of Nappa's loyalty. It seemed the simply minded weakling had grown accustomed to being a slave. The only reason he was still even alive was to provide 'incentive' to the Namekians. Vegeta didn't like to think about it, but he would soon be the last living Saiyan. At least he would have a Freeza skin coat and eternal life to make him feel better. Maybe, after he got his revenge, he could restore their race to its former glory.

AN- There's chapter 16, once again sorry about the delay between updates (Its starting to feel a little redundant typing that). I know there wasn't any of Gohan in this chapter, but the next chapter is all Gohan and it will be up very soon. I have some more free time cleared up, so I'll bust out a few chapters to keep the updates a little more consistent. I hope Goku wasn't too OC, but I figured that seeing Gohan after his beating would have a pretty serious impact on him, hence the emotional breakdowns.


	17. Chapter 17

AN- Thanks to SalemTheSpeakerOfTruth, your fan, supah saiyan, and the three Guests. Thanks to the people that added me or my story to their favorites/alerts lists. I lost the direction I wanted to take the next few chapters and it took me a while to figure this chapter out, sorry for the wait.

Chapter 17- An Intruder

(Gohan's Mind)

Gohan had been wandering around wherever he was endlessly. After what seemed like a few hours things had started to take shape, changing from the blank grayness into recognizable objects. First the walkway was plain and colorless, and then gradually more features started to appear. Soon he was walking down a stone pathway in a field of pail grass, which also steadily gained color and detail. Eventually everything except the sky had taken on the forms of things he was familiar with.

Gohan was now walking through a heavily wooded forest. It was dusky and thick fog obscured everything, cutting visibility down to just a few feet. He wasn't transparent anymore and his armor had materialized on him, probably because it was all he could really remember wearing.

Gohan's powerful Saiyan ears detected something in the distance, the faint trickling of a stream. He wasn't thirsty, although a cold dip sounded refreshing. Gohan picked up his pace and made his way to the creek.

He was sorely disappointed when he got there. Instead of a pristine brook filled with fish and life, he found a thin black sludge dripping out from a crack in a boulder. A deep pool had formed underneath, indicating it had been flowing for some time.

Gohan sniffed the goo, and quickly recoiled in disgust. The repugnant odor reminded him of some of the more decomposed corpses on the purges. Gohan gagged several times, and would have thrown up had there been anything in his stomach.

Gohan quickly left the stream of decidedly toxic sludge and continued to wander along the path, even though he was beginning to feel it didn't lead anywhere. The voice told him to follow it if he wanted answers, but it hadn't acknowledged him since. He wondered if maybe it had lied, and he was in hell. That would explain the flow of poison.

Gohan looked into the grey sky and searched for anything that could help indicate his direction. He remembered learning about the North Star on Earth and about how it had been used for navigation. He didn't see any stars, or even any irregularities in the solid grey.

Gohan continued down the path a little while longer until he saw something. Not much farther down the trail was the unmistakable glow of a building. Gohan crouched down and stealthily crept towards it. No telling how dangerous the inhabitants of his mind or more likely hell were.

Gohan carefully approached the house from the side. It was huge, easily bigger than Freeza's ship. Gohan hopped onto the roof, landing silently. He began stalking towards the only access point along the lengthy building. It was locked, but Gohan had little trouble pulling the handle off. He made a little more noise than he had intended, but he wasn't convinced that anyone was even in there.

He slinked like a cat through the halls, darting in and out of the shadows. Gohan kept his ears alert, but he didn't hear anything other than the slow steady his own heartbeat. Living in constant fear had its benefits, staying calm was now particularly easy. He finally decided to try one of the doors that lined the hall on either side. It swung open smoothly and Gohan stepped inside.

The room was unremarkable; it had a bed, desk, and a bookshelf. Gohan stepped inside, and was swept up in a wave of nostalgia. It was his room from back home. He looked over the book on the desk. Mathematics, it was one of the books he studied when his mom first began tutoring him. What was it doing here?

Gohan was startled by a faint noise behind him. He quickly turned and fell into a defensive stance. Instead of a demon or some horror from his nightmares, he saw a little boy. He took a closer look and realized that it was the boy was a younger version of himself. The happy looking child ignored Gohan's presence and strolled right into the room. He sat down at the desk and opened the book. Gohan stood and watched as his younger self started doing the working the complex equations out on a piece of paper.

Gohan stepped over to the desk and looked over the boy's shoulder at his work. He was starting to remember doing this assignment; it must have been just before he was taken. Suddenly his younger self stood up and left the room. Gohan wanted to follow him, but he disappeared as he left the doorway. Gohan turned and took one last look at the room before leaving. His memories had started to fade, but apparently they all rested here.

Gohan walked a ways down to an older memory. He was curious about his past, before Freeza. He really wanted to see his mother, but in his mind he couldn't seem to find her face. Maybe she would be in his earlier memories. He stepped through the older door, and was back in his room.

There she was. His mom was tucking him into bed. It sounded like he was crying and she was trying to comfort him.

"But, when's he gonna be home?" He was barely able to get the words out between the sobs.

"I don't know Gohan. Your father likes to be alone when he trains. I hope he comes back soon though." Chichi hugged him tightly and pulled the blanket up to his chin. She wiped the tears from his face, and then left the room.

Gohan was confused. From what he could recall, Goku had always been there for him. Maybe he had shaped his memories unconsciously to make himself feel better during his period of servitude. Gohan started to get angry with his father. This whole thing really was his fault. He was too weak to beat Raditz, whom couldn't hold a candle to Freeza's more talented men. He apparently wasn't there when Gohan had needed him as a child. His 'training' hadn't made much of a difference against someone that Gohan could now kill with the flick of a wrist. Not that it really mattered, Goku was dead and Gohan was probably dead too.

Gohan left the room and walked down the hall towards the newer memories. He decided not to open anymore doors, not many of his more recent experiences were pleasant. As he walked further Gohan started feel anxious. Clearly he was alone here, but that voice had told him to follow the path for a reason.

Gohan spotted a different door a little ways along the hall. It was made of a darker material and it had strange symbols along the top. None of the other doors had any markings, so Gohan decided to investigate.

Inside the room was very dark, and a dank musky smell almost overwhelmed Gohan's nose. It didn't seem to be another memory, and if it was Gohan was glad he couldn't readily recall it. He stepped farther into the room, and almost slipped on something. Gohan formed a small but bright Ki ball to illuminate the room. He quickly regretted lighting it.

The room was something out of a nightmare. It was large and mostly empty. The floors and walls were covered in the same black slime as he had found in the forest. It appeared to be slowly undulating and climbing towards the ceiling, dripping down before it could reach it. Gohan was about to leave, when he heard someone moan deeper inside. Whoever it was sounded like they were in pain, which didn't really worry him, but he was interested in meeting someone else stuck in the strange plane and maybe getting some answers.

As Gohan walked towards the sound the goo around his feet parted, it seemed to be fleeing from the light. He closed in on the sound, which was growing louder, obviously aware of his presence. Gohan came to a stop just before walking into a large pitch black pod of some sort. It was firmly attached to the floor by the goo, and shifted when he approached it.

"Hello. Can you hear me?" The pod began to squirm and the moans got louder and more urgent. "I'm going to get you out of there, just hold on a second."

Gohan wasn't sure if he really would get whoever it was out. He was mentally weighing the possible benefits with the obvious risks. Gohan finally made his decision when the person inside started thrashing and gurgling like they were drowning. He formed a sharp blade out of his Ki and slowly guided it down the outside of the pod. Gohan took the two sides of the incision and pulled them forcibly apart. More of the black goo spilled onto the ground, and the form of a small person slid out along with it.

Gohan recoiled and almost gagged at the sight of the tar covered body. "Hey, are you alright?"

The person squirmed and started to stand itself up. Gohan started to recognize its features, but he didn't want to believe it. The horns, swollen cranium, and bulging veins were all visible through the layer of slime. Gohan took several steps back and started to charge up an energy attack.

Captain Ginyu took a large glob of sludge and threw it at Gohan, catching him in the face. Gohan's vision was blocked, and the foul black substance stung his skin and eyes. He reached up to burn it off his head with his Ki ball, and Captain Ginyu struck. He punched Gohan hard in the chest, and then took off down the hall. Gohan was stunned, but fortunately the attack did little actual damage.

Gohan flew quickly down the hall after the purple alien. He hadn't seen which direction Captain Ginyu fled, but for some reason he could feel the power he emanated moving through the complex. It seemed that Gohan was actually inside his own head, and could feel the foreign presence moving around inside.

Captain Ginyu stopped moving, seemingly reaching a dead end in one of the many side halls. Gohan sped up, hoping to catch him before he escaped into the wilderness surrounding the building. He rounded a corner and came to a stop. At the end of the hall Captain Ginyu stood waiting.

"There's nowhere else to run you purple freak!" Gohan put on a brave front, but the memory of the thrashing that he had recently been through was still fresh in his mind.

"I had wished to minimize damage, but you've left me no choice."

Captain Ginyu lobbed a weak Ki ball haphazardly in Gohan's direction. Gohan didn't even need to dodge it, he simply continued forward while it whizzed past. Suddenly Gohan felt a rather intense pain in the back of his head. It felt like someone had taken a red-hot piece of metal and inserted it into his brain. Gohan fell to his knees, clutching his head.

"I wanted to keep you as intact as possible for when I take over, but I guess you're going to put up more of a fight than expected."

Gohan didn't care what he had to say, the pain was incredible. It radiated from his head down to his toes and back up, its electric touch spread across his whole body. After a moment Gohan was able to stand again, though the pain was still throbbing throughout his skull. He got into a stance to attack Captain Ginyu but decided against it, whatever he had just done was more than painful enough to make him think twice.

"Smart move Saiyan, it really is better if you just accept your fate." Captain Ginyu started advancing on him, and Gohan began to slowly backpedal down the hall.

"Why are you here?" Gohan's bravado wasn't quite as convincing as he wished it could have been. Captain Ginyu seemed to have seen through it.

"Well, I suppose since I'm about to be the only one in this body I could explain why I'm here with you." He stopped walking and the veins on his head began to swell twice their usual size. "After you disappeared from the pod, Freeza wasn't particularly happy. It decided to use me as an example; my body is more or less useless now. But the link I made between the two of us allowed me to escape my prison, and gave me the opportunity to get a brand new body." The veins were starting to return to their regular size. "Well, not new, more like gently used." Ginyu smiled and continued to bear down on Gohan.

Gohan kept walking backwards and started looking for anything to give him an advantage. In their previous encounter Captain Ginyu had proved to be quite a bit more than Gohan could handle.

"I assure you, nothing here can help you Gohan." Captain Ginyu had Gohan backed into the corner now, and was still moving toward him. "Tell you what, I'll make this interesting and give you a fighting chance." Ginyu turned around and fired a large Ki blast back down the hall.

Gohan barely had a few seconds to wonder why he had done that before the world was gone. Everything exploded in an intense bright flash; it was so bright that Gohan had to shield his eyes. However the light wasn't from the explosion. It was coming from behind his eyelids. The pain was similar to the first attack, only much more intense. Gohan let out an animalistic howl, then began to convulse and he emptied the contents of his stomach on the ground.

"Looks like we will have to be more careful with any stray attacks, after all a mind is a terrible thing to waste. Particularly yours, since it will soon be mine." Captain Ginyu grabbed Gohan by the back of his head and tossed him through the new hole, and back into the wilderness.

AN- There's chapter 17, Chapter 18 is also done and waiting to be posted. Being honest I did lose interest for a while, but I think I have my spark back. The power levels are a bit different than the show. Goku isn't quite as strong as in the cannon Namek saga, he didn't have the battle with Vegeta. Piccolo is about the same as Goku, he fused with Kami but not Nail. Both of them received the training with King Kai. Vegeta is pretty close to cannon Namek. Nappa is a little stronger than he ever was in cannon; the two of them have been on nonstop purges for quite some time. Gohan is close to Goku and Piccolo maybe a little weaker, not quite where Captain Ginyu is. If you really want numbers feel free to write a review or pm me and I can type up a list of where I think the major characters should be. If everyone wants it I will put it at the beginning of chapter 18, if not I can just pm it to the interested people. R&R


	18. Chapter 18

AN- Here's Chapter 18, sorry for the wait everyone. I thought I had this chapter ready quite some time ago, but I reread it and wasn't happy with it. I ended up splicing chapters 18 and 19 together to make this. Then I got a bit busier than I thought I was going to be and it doesn't look like I'll have much time to write for a while. Football started up last week, it's my last season and I'm trying to make it count. I also have a pile of summer homework to do for AP English, which in hindsight might have been a bad idea to sign up for.

I have the outlines for chapters 19-23 which will basically cover the Namek Saga. It might be a little shorter/longer depending on how it turns out, there's a nice little twist at the end. There will basically be two more "Sagas" after this one, though they might be a little shorter, somewhere around 5-10 chapters each. That's just a rough estimate though; nothing is set in stone yet except the ending. I'll try and get a few more chapters out before summer ends, but as far as actual times between updates go I won't make any promises.

As the year progresses updates will probably be few and far between, especially after November when wrestling season starts. I usually don't use electronics during those god awful months, it's actually my favorite sport and I'm hoping to do it in "community" college. Sorry in advance for that. But spring should bring an increase in the frequency of new chapters, provided I do a nice easy senior project.

Thanks to; Kallu, AmuxJack, FloatingCow, Gohan1125, geli2248, SSJ2 Silven, zac (Got a bit of a laugh out of yours), superguy, and gohanFanfics for the reviews.. It just reached 50 reviews today! And thanks to everyone that added me or my story to your alert/favorites lists. Special thanks to SSJ2 Silven for beta reading this chapter before I posted it. I'll try and use a little more dialogue from now on.

Chapter 18- Internal Conflict

(Namek)

Goku and Piccolo were having trouble holding Gohan down. For the first few hours Gohan hadn't moved a muscle, but recently he had started twitching and his Ki was fluctuating violently like he was in battle.

Bulma had been monitoring his vital signs and taking his temperature when the seizures started. Unfortunately for her, Gohan was incredibly strong and when she tried to restrain him he convulsed violently and broke her arm. The second seizure lasted much longer, and Gohan thrashed like he was in great pain. His Ki spiked to incredible levels, and disturbingly appeared to not be alone.

Goku and Piccolo finally managed to steady Gohan enough for Bulma to administer a drug to keep him from moving. She had tried using needles made from standard materials, but they had shattered on Gohan's skin. She finally settled to use a small diamond tipped drill, which she brought along to collect mineral samples, to puncture Gohan's skin. Goku already had a phobia of needles, and even Piccolo cringed at the crude method of delivering the sedative. Surprisingly, Gohan didn't seem to react at all, not even pull his arm away. Bulma's arm hung awkward angle and her elbow was purple and swollen.

"I think that Gohan will be alright for a while, those sedatives were designed to take down dinosaurs." Bulma used her good arm to wipe the sweat from he forehead.

"Sorry he did that to you Bulma, I'm sure he wouldn't hurt anyone on purpose." Goku knew that Gohan wasn't in control of himself, but he still found comfort saying that he wouldn't harm anyone intentionally.

"Its fine Goku, I already took some painkillers and I'll x-ray it later." Bulma tried to lift her arm and winced.

"No, I don't think its fine Bulma. Maybe one of the Namekians can help." Goku put his hand on her shoulder and walked her out of the medical tent.

"I hadn't thought of that. Thanks Goku that would save lots of recovery time." The two left the tent together in search of a healer.

Piccolo had been waiting to spend some time alone with Gohan. King Kai's warning about Freeza rang through his mind as he approached Gohan. There were definitely two Ki signatures inside him, and they appeared to be fighting. Piccolo had never felt anything like it. He was worried that the presence of another being could possibly burn Gohan out, after all no mind was meant to accommodate two. It seemed that the two were battling for dominance, and one clearly had the upper hand.

Piccolo placed his hand on Gohan's forehead and a dull white light engulfed the two. He traveled through a void of blackness where a waking person's consciousness would have been, working his way further into Gohan's mind.

Piccolo could feel the fibers of Gohan's mind slowly starting to tear from the force of the two warriors battling deeper inside. Their Ki was much easier to read as he got closer and closer to where they were trapped, unfortunately any self aware being's mind was infinitely huge. Piccolo was only prepared to go so deep; his knowledge from Kami told him that the danger of getting lost or trapped increased the further you went into a person's mind. An umbilical cord of energy kept him tethered to his own mind, but if it broke he would be forced to find his way back with no point of reference.

Finally Piccolo came to a place were the there was a sense of space and being. The two fighters Ki levels were very high here, Piccolo was sure they were near. Their energy seemed different than anyone else he had sensed. The only other person that had the same strange sensation along with their Ki had been Raditz. Piccolo wasn't entirely sure, but it almost seemed like it was insanity manifesting itself in their Ki. The fighter with the most of whatever it was associated with its Ki seemed to be wining. Piccolo rushed to where he felt the battle was happening.

He didn't have a body and his Ki was suppressed incase they could sense him. But with the way they were burning through theirs he doubted they had Ki mastered to the extent of sensing others. They were clearly very strong, but they weren't trying to preserve their energy. Piccolo glided over the ghostly landscape, it seemed to be fading and flickering out of existence. The fading scenery didn't bode well for Gohan; it indicated that his brain may have sustained some serious damage.

Off in the distance he could see two dots of light repeatedly smash into each other at high speeds. One was blue and the other purple. The battle was fairly even, but the blue fighter had burned quite a bit more energy. Piccolo could tell he was fighting on anger and desperation, dangerous combination when facing any enemy, especially one with a comparable power level. If he kept fighting like that he would lose.

Piccolo crept in for a closer look. What he saw shocked him. Goku's son was fighting a strange horned purple man with a massive head. Something wasn't right, Piccolo could sense telekinetic energy radiating off the purple man. He was the reason Gohan hadn't woken up yet. Piccolo's acute hearing detected the distant sounds of the purple warrior speaking to Gohan.

"You Saiyans truly are remarkable. I beat you to within an inch of your life last time without breaking a sweat, and now you've put up a decent fight." He charged a powerful Ki ball and aimed it at Gohan. "I can't wait to see what your body is capable of with a real warrior in control." The mystery fighter fired the Ki attack at the ground instead, and for some reason Gohan flew to intercept it.

Piccolo was starting to understand the whole situation. This purple man had trapped Gohan here with his telekinesis, and was now trying to gain control of his body. Gohan's seizures must have been caused internal damage from their fight. Piccolo wasn't sure if he was the best person to try and undo whatever lock the other man had put on Gohan to keep him here. He would need the help of one of the Namekian elders to free Gohan and expel the intruder. Piccolo broke the mental link and quickly rejoined his body.

Piccolo opened his eyes and found himself surrounded by people. He was never a fan of crowds, but this one in particular made him uncomfortable. Their eyes all displayed fear, and the energy of the room was chaotic and uneasy.

"What's going on Goku?" Piccolo scanned the faces of the Namekians and humans, all of them were grim.

"King Kai contacted me while you were trying to help Gohan. We have a problem." Goku's fists were clenched and he displayed none of his usual cheer. Whatever it was had to be big to affect Goku like that, rarely if ever was he serious.

"How big is the problem?"

"We might have some powerful company here on Namek in a very short amount of time."

(Gohan's Mind)

Gohan didn't know what to do. Captain Ginyu had a huge advantage over him. As long as he could just fire a blast into the ground and cause Gohan unimaginable pain he was going to win. If something didn't happen to change the tides of battle soon, Gohan feared he wouldn't be around much longer. His Ki was rapidly draining, and the Captain had conserved his by destroying the environment then attacking. Gohan couldn't defend himself very well with his head feeling like it was being split opened from the inside.

Gohan looked at the scene all around him. There were craters and pillars of smoke from burning trees. Originally Captain Ginyu had said he didn't want to cause much damage, but that had quickly devolved into blowing anything and everything up to make Gohan drop his guard. The thing that had Gohan the most concerned however was the fact that everything had begun to flicker and warp. It was very subtle and he had almost missed it in the heat of battle, but it was there nonetheless. It appeared that his mind wouldn't hold together if it took much more punishment.

He turned his gaze back to Captain Ginyu high in the sky, and prepared to attack. The purple warrior was faster to the punch however and fired an attack straight down at the ground bellow him. Gohan didn't have any time to think, he flew as fast as he could to stop it from reaching the ground.

Gohan reached the ball just in time and took it full force. He had tried swatting them away before, and all that led to was pain in a different part of his head. The blast burned his skin and knocked some of his wind out, but it wasn't especially powerful and it didn't cause debilitating pain like it would have had it reached its intended target.

Captain Ginyu seemed to have been planning on Gohan stopping it though, and he launched into action. He quickly reached Gohan and kneed him hard in the spine. The half-saiyan arched his back and silently screamed in pain. Captain Ginyu didn't let up; he elbowed Gohan in the side of the head and sent him flying. Captain Ginyu watched Gohan sail off into the distance. Gohan he righted himself just in time to keep from crashing into one of the remaining hills.

Gohan hovered for a moment and regained which direction was up. After establishing where he was he lowered himself to the ground and wiped the blood from his mouth and nose. He wouldn't be able to take many more of those, but Captain Ginyu showed no signs of waning. Gohan mustered up his last few reserves and started to sluggishly fly back to the fight, regaining his breath on the way.

(Namek)

Piccolo took a deep breath and prepared to fully immerse himself into Gohan's mind. It was dangerous; getting lost could turn his body into a permanent empty shell. Normally it wouldn't be possible to actually have a physical presence in another's mind, but there were several Namekians simultaneously pouring their energy into him. With their help he was able to maintain a form capable of fighting.

The deliberation on what they could do free Gohan had been short and straight to the point. The Namekian elders had never encountered this situation before, and with the dragon balls unusable for some time, sending someone in was the only option. One of the less empathetic elders had brought up the point that they needed to be preparing themselves for the approaching Saiyan threat. But Goku had insisted that Gohan would be an asset in the battle. After a short argument, and an impressive display of power from Goku, they all agreed to send Piccolo in to defeat the purple warrior.

Now Piccolo was racing as fast as he could back to where Gohan was. From what he could tell the young half-saiyan had taken quite the beating since he had left, but Gohan was still hanging in. However, if he didn't get help soon he would lose. Piccolo didn't know what would happen if Gohan died inside his own mind, and he wasn't about to let his friend's son die.

Piccolo surprised himself. He had never considered anyone his friend before, especially not Goku. When had his sworn enemy made the quantum leap to becoming his only friend? Piccolo realized he didn't really care; the only thing that mattered at this point was saving Gohan. He could now see the tiny blue dot in the distance slowly flying towards the second Ki source. Piccolo compared the way Gohan was flying to an injured bird. The other warrior seemed no worse than when he had last felt his Ki.

Captain Ginyu was leaning against a boulder picking between his black finger nails. He didn't even lift his eyes when Gohan arrived. "Nice of you to finally join me, it's rude to keep a guest waiting."

Gohan phased in front of him and took a swing. Captain Ginyu simply tilted his head back and simultaneously lifted his own fist into Gohan's stomach. Gohan doubled over and coughed up some blood.

"You put up a good fight, but I'm afraid it's over now." Ginyu stepped forward and lifted Gohan into the air. "It's time to go Gohan, but don't worry you won't be going to hell. If your conscious dies, well let's just say there won't be a 'you' to go to the afterlife. One could say I'm about to kill your soul." He lifted Gohan higher and cocked his arm back. Instead of a fist he stuck his fingers straight out and the glow of Ki surrounded his hand.

Everything slowed down for Gohan. His life didn't quite flash before his eyes, but his mind was racing. Gohan was simultaneously looking for a way out, and accepting his fate. Gohan was tired, tired of fighting, tired of all the pain, and tired of trying to keep going even though he was exhausted both mentally and physically. For the first time he felt almost at peace with the idea of death without vengeance. Captain Ginyu telling him that he would cease to exist if he died here almost made him complacent. But some part of him still wanted to live. A primal survival instinct was clawing its way to the surface, canceling any thoughts of just letting Ginyu kill him.

Gohan began to thrash like a wild animal. His acceptance of death had been overpowered by his saiyan will to live. Captain Ginyu tightened his grip on Gohan's throat in an attempt to hold him still. The lack of oxygen just sent Gohan into even more of a frenzy, and in the chaos Captain Ginyu's grip loosened. Gohan wasn't in control anymore, and as soon as he felt the slack he broke free.

Instead of trying to escape, Gohan began to attack. His lack of energy didn't seem to be a problem as he went on the offensive and tore into Captain Ginyu. Gohan fought like an ape, clawing and bighting his enemy and tearing away chunks of flesh.

Captain Ginyu was stunned by the sudden turn of events, but the pain of Gohan biting into his forearm brought him back to his senses. Ginyu screamed in pain and surprise, and then smacked Gohan off himself. Gohan seemed unfazed by the attack and immediately rushed back in, although he did appear to have regained some self control. Gohan was still ferocious, but now there was a method to the madness. The two began fighting, seemingly on even ground.

Piccolo watched from a distance. He almost intervened when he saw the purple fighter charging up a deadly amount of Ki, but he hadn't needed to. Gohan had somehow gained the upper hand, and he was now taking the fight to the stranger.

At first glance it would appear that Gohan was winning, but Piccolo knew better. He could sense Gohan's Ki burning away. This second wind wouldn't last long. On the bright side Gohan had dealt some serious damage to the mystery warrior. Piccolo would have little trouble taking care of him when the time came to intervene.

Gohan and Ginyu were battering each other's bodies into messes of swollen flesh and blood. Gohan's hair was heavy with coagulated blood and it hung down over his face. Captain Ginyu's vein covered head was marred with bruises, and a long jagged gash on his forehead oozed with dark purple blood. Gohan's injuries were catching up with him though, and he had started to slow down once again. His body had held out much longer than he thought it would, but it was rapidly approaching the breaking point.

Gohan threw a hard right hook to Ginyu's body and was rewarded with the sound of bones cracking. Captain Ginyu seemed unaffected though, and he spun with the force of the blow. He buried his shin deep in Gohan's thigh, and the resulting snap was much louder than the ribs Gohan broke.

(Namek)

Goku watched in horror as his son's body began to tear itself apart right before him. It looked like someone was pummeling the helpless body with a blunt object. Cuts and bruises were forming all over Gohan's body, and his vital signs were quickly dropping.

Bulma and the Namekians were rushing back and forth trying to stop the bleeding and stabilize him, but nothing seemed to be working. They would heal a cut and it would immediately reopen. Goku didn't understand, Piccolo was supposed to be saving him. Instead his son was dying and there was nothing he could do.

Gohan's leg suddenly snapped and jerked to an awkward position. Bulma screamed and barely kept herself from vomiting. Three Namekians instantly went to work trying to heal it, having only marginal success. One of them remained behind to continue caring for it while the other two tended to different wounds. A group of them were huddled around Piccolo, and there was a line of energy connecting them to Gohan. Bulma didn't know what was going on inside the child, but if Piccolo didn't fix it soon Gohan wouldn't last much longer.

(Gohan's Mind)

Piccolo had seen enough. Captain Ginyu was just toying with Gohan now. He had hoped that if Gohan defeated this enemy he could gain some kind of closure, since they were obviously rivals. But it was now clear to Piccolo that if he didn't step in Gohan would perish.

Captain Ginyu grabbed Gohan by his hair and tossed him into the air. He pulled his arm back and started to charge up a Ki ball. Ginyu was quite surprised to find his hand missing when he attempted to throw the attack. The shock was only momentary though, it was quickly replaced with intense pain that radiated from his stump.

"End of the line freak." Piccolo stood behind Ginyu gripping the disembodied hand like a trophy. If Gohan hadn't weakened him so much the appendage would have been much harder to remove.

"Who the hell are you?" Captain Ginyu tried to mask the fear in his voice, but was quite disappointed with the job he was doing.

"I would ask you the same question, but it doesn't really matter." Piccolo dropped the hand and began to raise his Ki, not that Ginyu could tell.

"Take another step and I turn you into dust!" As if to prove he would make good on the threat Captain Ginyu charged a powerful Ki ball and aimed it at Piccolo, whom continued to walk towards him.

Piccolo wasn't particularly worried about the ball; Ginyu had burned up most of his energy toying with Gohan. At most it would singe his clothes. Captain Ginyu hurled it at him and Piccolo took it full force. He could hear the purple man laughing in the distance, but the smoke made it hard to see. Piccolo charged his own attack and fired it right to the source of the deranged laughter.

Piccolo chuckled a bit to himself when he heard the explosion and subsequent scream. He could feel the life force draining out of the fighter, and knew he would to act fast to get any answers. Piccolo raced to where Ginyu landed. Suddenly he felt a huge increase in the amount of telekinetic energy radiating from him. He was about to try something big.

When Piccolo got there he was greeted by an extremely strange sight. The purple alien's head had swollen in size and his eyes were bulging out of their sockets. Piccolo wasn't quite sure what to do, the fighter wasn't much of a threat anymore but on the other hand he couldn't very well leave him here in the back of Gohan's mind. His decision was made for him when the alien began to fade away.

"Goodbye for now green man." He smiled and a bright purple light began to envelope him. "As soon as I escape that wretched cell on Freeza's ship, I'll be paying your planet a visit."

Piccolo watched him disappear completely; his Ki was gone as well. With that problem out of the way he could turn his full attention to getting Gohan out of here. Piccolo felt around a bit for Gohan's energy, which was so faint he could barely feel it. He realized it was fading quickly, and he took off to fetch him. If Gohan died there was a good chance he would be trapped, and there wasn't an easy way of an endless abyss.

AN- There's chapter 18. I'll try and get a chapter a week out for the next month, but like I said I won't make any promises. And sorry for the extra long Authors Note at the beginning, and the cliffhanger.


	19. Chapter 19

AN- I'M BACK! I'm also really sorry about the insanely long wait. I could come up with a million reasons, but the only ones that matter are the lack to time to write and a horrific computer crash the last time I tried to update. Almost brought me to tears and it drastically drained my will to write. It's mostly sorted out now though, and further updates should be expected. Not as rapidly as some might like though, I still need to get back into the swing of writing. Realistically I will update once or twice a month, sorry. I am writing again though, the story has not been left to rot. It is also nearing the anniversary of the first chapter being posted, though I had hoped to be further than this by now.

Thanks to everyone that continued to read and show support. There were a lot of you and I don't want to write a whole page thanking everyone individually, but if you're reading this consider yourself in that elite group. I have received some reviews and PM's regarding power levels, and would just like to say that I don't have them as figured out as I thought I did. I am changing directions a little bit and some will change, but I will try to make it make sense. Any suggestions or questions can be sent as a PM or posted as a review and I will do my best to take them into consideration. Also, anyone qualified and interested in reading the chapters early, or beta reading if you want to be politically correct, can send me a message and I'll be glad for the help. Now enough with the rambling and onward to the story…

Chapter 19- Before The Storm

(Gohan's Mind)

Piccolo was running out of time. Gohan was barely hanging on by a thread, and his mind was crumbling in on itself. If Piccolo didn't get them both out quickly, Gohan would die and Piccolo would be trapped in the abyss left by his collapsing consciousness. Their best chance of escape had been the thin cord of energy tethering Piccolo back to his own body, but Piccolo had lost focus on it and the energy had dissipated. Now all Piccolo could do was follow the faint energy of the healers trying to save Gohan back to the exit. Piccolo raced towards the Ki signatures, his death-grip on Gohan kept the young Saiyan from falling into the void bellow.

Gohan was as exhausted as he'd ever been, but not quite ready to give in to the endless sleep yet. His battle with Captain Ginyu had brought him very close to death's doorstep, but he was sure he'd been closer. He was disoriented and the sensation of flying wasn't helping.

The only things Gohan was sure of were that Ginyu was gone, and someone he didn't know was taking him somewhere against his will. Gohan didn't really care where he was going, and he wasn't worried about who had taken him. If the stranger wanted him dead, Gohan couldn't really do much to stop them.

Underneath the pain there was a different sensation, almost like the artificial calm of a healing chamber. Gohan knew it couldn't be the comfort of the glass tube though. If it was, then the powerful painkillers infused with the water would've sent him into that coveted dreamless sleep, free from the nightmares that tormented him while he usually rested.

Gohan was beginning to notice how completely foreign this new feeling was to him. It was almost like someone was trying to fix everything that had been done to him and cleanse him in a warm and healing embrace. He didn't like it. No one he knew would help him without a rather despicable reason, like saving him to torture and kill slowly. Gohan swallowed down the urge to try to stop them though, he was on deaths doorstep and willing to sell what was left of his soul for a chance to stay alive.

Piccolo could feel the energy of the healers trying to save Gohan become more pronounced, and with it he knew the surface was growing nearer. If Gohan could hold on a little longer they would both be safe again. At least their minds would be safe; there really was no telling how much damage had been done to Gohan's body. These Saiyans were quite resilient though, he'd seen Goku recover from and even grow from injuries that would've killed or maimed others.

Piccolo could now see the exit faintly off in the distance, a faint speck of light in the swirling blackness. "Hold on Gohan, we're almost home."

Gohan heard his name, but didn't recognize the voice. It wasn't one of Freeza's men, at least not that he recognized. That left only a handful of possibilities. The most likely of which was that he was dying and this was all just the hallucination on the way to the afterlife. Gohan was not looking forward to his assuredly harsh judgment if that was the case.

The prospect that they were some of Freeza's enemies didn't seem too bad. They would probably be fairly weak and Gohan could easily dispatch of them and be on his way. Which would bring Gohan back around to the problem of figuring out where he was exactly. He was far too disoriented to think of something like that now though.

(Namek)

Goku watched in terror as Piccolo attempted to rescue his son. After training with him for so long Goku trusted the Namekian implicitly, but this was his only child and he hadn't seen him in far too long.

Not only was he very nervous for Gohan's wellbeing, but feeling helpless was not something Son Goku was used to. His Saiyan blood demanded he take action, but his rational side wanted him to stay out of the way. Goku settled on the middle ground of getting very anxious and agitated, another set of feelings he wasn't accustomed to, and standing out of the way with Bulma.

"Maybe we should wait outside Goku?" Bulma had been fidgeting nervously in the corner for some time, as useless in the situation as Goku. "There really isn't much we can do in here."

"I'm not leaving this room until my son is awake. I'm not leaving him again."

Bulma rarely saw Goku as serious as he had been since they wished Gohan back. She had heard that he was like this the whole time they were in Otherworld, but Piccolo was the only living witness to that. It did seem that their training had made a significant difference, and for that Bulma was thankful. She was especially thankful for their strength after feeling Gohan's insane power firsthand, even if it had been an accident. It was more power than a child so young should have, and it filled Bulma with a sense of unease.

Bulma still felt a little strange that Piccolo had switched sides and was no longer trying to kill them. But then again the whole scope of what was happening was a little bigger than when they had been kids. Looking at the bizarre scene before her Bulma yearned for those simpler times.

Yamcha sat outside the tent on the Namekian grass; a gentle breeze blowing through his long hair and wafting the smells of an alien summer into his nose. He hated it. He hated the whole situation he was in, and he hated that he was there on the planet.

Yamcha's power level was miniscule compared to most of those around him. Even the badly wounded child fighting for his life in the tent dwarfed him easily. Yamcha felt like he was less than a man, and the rift between him and Bulma did not help his situation. Thinking about it all made him just want to disappear.

Tien meditated just off in the distance and Krillin stood off by the water tossing stones far into the sea. Neither of them were immune to Yamcha's train of thought, they just lacked the anger that had been brewing inside him since the breakup. Obviously Bulma and Yamcha should've been kept separate instead of being allowed to fight in the small space of the ship like they did. It had obviously had a rather negative effect on the scarred warrior.

Yamcha finally reached his breaking point hearing Bulma and Goku comforting each other in the medical tent. His Ki violently flared up around him and he shot into the sky.

"Hey Yamcha! Where are you going?" Krillin yelled as his own aura erupted around him in a white flame.

"Leave him Krillin, he just needs some space."

"Yeah Tien, you're probably right. We're all just a little stressed with the whole situation." Krillin's Ki calmed and he hurled the stone he'd been about to crush in his small palm off into the horizon.

Tien resumed his floating meditation and closed his eyes. Though his third eye kept its supernatural gaze fixed on Yamcha's energy as it sped towards the Namekian's elder. He didn't know what his intentions were, but the amount of anger he sensed was dangerous. Yamcha would clearly need to be watched carefully. Though not as carefully as the young murderer healing in the tent.

(Gohan's Mind)

Piccolo neared the exit, Gohan's frail body still in his grasp. Though not as frail as when he'd first found him, the healers had stabilized him. There had been extensive damage though, and it appeared to be fairly permanent. The wisdom from Kami gave Piccolo hope that it wouldn't be debilitating though, Gohan would eventually heal.

As Piccolo crossed the threshold of their minds melding point Gohan slipped from his grasp. The young Saiyan was now in control of his own body and mind, only time would tell if he would be the same person.

"No, Gohan will never be the little boy Goku raised and loved. That child died long ago." Piccolo mentally corrected himself as he reunited with his own body.

Light invaded Piccolo's sensitive eyes as he regained consciousness and broke the link, but Gohan did not stir. "I did all I can Goku, we just need to give him time to heal."

"Thank you Piccolo, I don't know what I'd do without you." Goku's shoulders were slumped as he turned to his son's body. He had known he wouldn't be instantly better, but he'd also hoped for a more immediate reaction.

Suddenly a dark feeling overtook him. Goku turned his gaze to the sky and gawked. A dark energy was rapidly approaching the planet and was now easily detectable. It had to be the Saiyans King Kai had warned of.

"You feel it too Goku?"

"Yeah, that is not good." There were two of them on the way. The first was nothing special, he would be defeated fairly easily. It was the second that had Goku worried. While not as strong as Piccolo or himself it did have a different feeling to it. If had to describe it, Goku would've called it cunning, almost like a predatory wolf.

"We need to gather the Namekians and get all of the civilians to a safe location. I have a feeling these two are only the first clouds of the coming storm." Piccolo announced gruffly, shaking the last of the cobwebs from being inside Gohan's mind out.

"Yeah, they need to know what is about to happen to their planet."

Bulma was completely in the dark about the whole situation, but she could tell by the two warrior's expressions that it was not good. "Wait, what am I supposed to do while you two are gone? I'm not exactly a fighter." She huffed as Piccolo exited the tent.

"Take care of my son until I get back." Goku bent down to kiss Gohan on the forehead and followed after Piccolo, Bulma trailed somewhat behind the two towering fighters.

"Everyone needs to disguise their Ki. I don't think they can read it on their own and the element of surprise never hurts." Piccolo growled as he stared into the alien sky.

"Ok, but there's really not a whole lot I can do on my own." Bulma was still a little annoyed that she didn't know exactly what was going on.

"Just work with the healers to try and bring him back around." Goku shouted as he took off in the sky. The rest of the warriors flew in different directions, intent on bringing the peaceful Namekians to a safe location. Though they didn't know how much longer anywhere on the lush planet would be safe.

"Well, that doesn't exactly clear anything up." She said as she reentered the tent. All of the healers were frozen in fear as they blankly stared into the roof of the makeshift hospital. "Great, looks like I am on my own." At least Gohan's pale and malnourished body didn't look like it was about to go anywhere on its own. Bulma slipped back outside to smoke a cigarette while she waited.

(Vegeta's Ship)

"Prince Vegeta." Nappa briefly bowed as he approached the shorter Saiyan. "We are right on schedule and will be landing on the planet in less than a day." The bald simpleton was practically foaming at the mouth with the promise of another fight and more blood to spill.

"Excellent, begin preparations to find the dragon balls. Make sure to check the scouters, I don't want any surprises once we land." Vegeta was even more excited than his buffoon of a servant, though he was much more controlled in showing it. His dreams of immortality and Freeza's deliciously slow death were very close to becoming a reality.

"Vegeta…" Napa had his scouter on and seemed to be paralyzed by what he saw on it.

"What!" Vegeta didn't appreciate his daydreaming being interrupted. "Spit it out!"

"My scouter said something it shouldn't have. Damn thing must be broken, check yours instead." Nappa took his scouter off and began tinkering with it with the subtlety of an elephant.

Vegeta checked his scouter and didn't see anything wrong. There were a few fairly high power levels, but nothing extraordinary. In fact the planet seemed to be almost deserted. Plus, according to his scouter the most powerful warrior was already gravely wounded.

"Mine seems fine, yours must be broken…" Then he saw what had sent Nappa reeling. The scouter identified two of the energy signatures on the small planet as being Saiyan in origin. The strongest one was definitely a Saiyan, perhaps the child Raditz had captured, though it still made no sense for any Saiyans to be on Namek.

"Well, didn't this just become a whole lot more interesting?" Vegeta smirked and his long canines flashed white in the artificial light of the ship.

AN- There it was, chapter 19! We're finally back on track. Feel free to PM or review with any comments or criticism, I aim to get better. Expect updates at least once a month, but it could be longer if I lose momentum again. Hopefully not though, I finally have the time and working computer to write again. I am looking for a cover, any one with some art or an idea can feel free reach out.


	20. Chapter 20

AN- I updated a little sooner than I thought I would. Inspiration has struck and I intend to write as much as I can while it still lasts. The reviews, followers, and favorites didn't hurt either. Chapter 19 was the most reviewed chapter of the entire story, and I'd forgotten how exciting getting a new one is. Thanks to Ky111, Minatu-chan, SalemTheSpeakerOfTruth, Kallu, FloatingCow, AprO, apr0ph1z, FanAddict, Hoshi124, Wild-Dog84, and everyone that added the story to their alert or favorites lists. Today is also the one year anniversary of when I posted the first chapter!

Chapter 20- Arrival

(Guru's Temple)

Guru was well aware of the events taking place on Namek, so the arrival of a rather upset Yamcha did not surprise him. The human's emotions had been in turmoil since they first arrived, but Guru supposed the same was true for just about everyone at this point. The impending arrival of the Saiyans didn't help the situation very much. Added to the fact that the Cold family's icy gaze had finally landed on the peaceful planet, and things were not looking good.

Guru was one of the privileged few that could sense Freeza's distant shift in their direction. There were powerful warriors on Namek, but none of them could hold a candle to any of the Colds. So a rather weak and scarred human's relationship trouble wasn't exactly the most important thing on his mind, but Guru supposed there was not exactly a lot that could be done to prepare Namek for the impending carnage.

"Hello Yamcha. I hope all is going well with young Gohan's recovery?" It wasn't exactly a question; Guru had been keeping careful tabs on everything the Saiyan did. Thankfully it wasn't much yet, but the boy practically radiated danger. "It seems we will have some unwelcomed guests soon and we'll need all the help we can get." Guru hoped the child could be coaxed into helping, but there was no way of knowing how pervasive Freeza's conditioning was until he was awake.

Yamcha fidgeted uncomfortably under the careful gaze of the ancient Namekian. He had been told stories of Guru's abilities since he arrived, some of them were most likely exaggerated, but he really hoped Guru was capable of unlocking his hidden strength. "That's what I came to talk to you about." He paused a moment to pick his words and come to terms with what he was about to say, it wasn't everyday he admitted he was pathetically weak. "I feel I won't be strong enough to help if anything bad were to happen. I could never forgive myself if my friends were hurt and I could've done something about it."

Guru took in a slow and labored breath. His time was coming soon, and he feared the planet would follow him closely. "I know what you ask of me, but I am reluctant to grant you what you wish." Guru sighed. "There is a danger on its way here that you cannot fathom. A demon of hatred and destruction is on its way."

"You mean the Saiyans." Yamcha interrupted.

"No, the real threat is far more perilous. I'm afraid there is nothing that can be done to stop it. Goku and Piccolo are strong enough to put up a good fight, but eventually they will fall under its immense strength."

"But, why then would you not grant me the power to fight back? If even Goku is unable to stop it then how am I going to defend anyone?" Yamcha was beginning to grow frustrated with being left in the dark, even if there was a good reason.

"I believe that the most prudent thing we can do is try to evacuate the planet before it's too late. If I was to unlock your potential you would stay and fight, but you would only die with the others." Yamcha cringed at the certainty and ease with which Guru predicted his demise, but said nothing to contradict him. "It is with a heavy and weary heart that I tell you that I am not long for this world. Namek is no longer safe for my people. You need to take them back to Earth, there you might have a real chance to prepare for what is coming."

The revelation made Yamcha sick. If Namek was so easily destroyed how would Earth fare any better? "Fine, grant me strength to defend the ones I love and I will ensure the Namekians are taken to Earth. Our ship isn't equipped to handle that many passengers, but we will find a way."

Guru seemed to think for a moment before tilting his head and staring at the ceiling. "I understand your longing to protect your people, but I cannot guarantee this will make you strong enough to face the coming onslaught." Guru grimly realized that some of the evil might already be here. Gohan wasn't to be trusted.

Yamcha tightened his fists. "A fighting chance is all I ask for."

"Very well, come here my child." Guru hoped this wasn't something he'd regret.

(Namekian Village)

` Goku, Tien, Krillin, and Piccolo had all been hard at work convincing the Namekians to gather up in a central location in case they had to be evacuated. There were only around 100 of them total, but some were reluctant to leave their homes. Many had gathered together in the larger villages when the Saiyans energy became detectable, but others had remained stubborn.

"We're getting nowhere Goku." The near growl of Piccolo's voice served as a warning of his patients wearing thin. Kami's influence did have an effect though; he hadn't yet burned anyone's house down to convince them to leave. "Maybe we should get Guru to help, they aren't going to listen to us."

"Yeah, maybe you're right Piccolo. We aren't getting anywhere fast. It's less than twenty-four hours until the Saiyans arrive and we still need to make sure Bulma and Gohan are safe." Even Goku's voice was a little raspy, the strain of the situation was taking a toll on everyone.

"Maybe we should just rest for a little while, too much stress is bad for you after all." Krillin practically croaked. He was tired and sweating, the pace the others had been setting was a little much for him.

"We don't have time, if you can't keep up you should just go back with Bulma." Piccolo still wasn't quite as patient as Kami.

"It's not like I wasn't helping!" Krillin regretted shouting before the words even left his lips, crossing Piccolo wasn't exactly on his bucket list.

"You might want to watch your tone." The finality and calmness of Piccolo's demeanor spoke volumes about how quickly the beating would be over.

"What I mean is…Our nerves are all a bit fried and we're tired. Maybe we should just try a different angle." Krillin was bright red and visibly shaking.

"Everybody calm down, fighting isn't going to make the Namekians trust us. In fact it will probably have the opposite effect." Tien had remained calm throughout the ordeal, long hours of meditation helping him keep his composure.

Goku may have remained silent during the exchange, but his Ki betrayed his inner turmoil. Piccolo could feel that well of power surging up again, and he was sure the others could feel it too by how quiet they got. It could only remain dormant for so much longer, sooner or later it would tear him apart if it wasn't released. Piccolo wasn't sure if he wanted to be around for it.

"Um, Goku…Are you alright?" Krillin was scared of Piccolo. However, he trusted Goku with his life, even if his Ki felt like a raging hurricane.

"Bickering isn't very productive, and in case you people didn't notice we are running out of time." Goku hissed through clenched teeth, his Ki nearing the breaking point with every syllable.

"Let's all just calm…" Krillin didn't get to finish though, Goku disappeared in a flash before he could complete the sentence. He braced for an impact, but nothing came. Instead he felt Piccolo and Tien disappear too. "What?" Then Krillin felt it, and quickly took off in the same direction the other three had gone.

Gohan was awake, and he didn't seem very happy to be here.

(Guru's Temple)

"It is done, your latent powers have been brought to the surface." Guru hoped this wasn't a decision he would regret. But he had the distinct feeling giving Yamcha power he hadn't worked for or earned was a grave mistake. Namek needed all the help it could get though.

"I feel incredible! This power is great!" Yamcha felt like a new man, and he was itching to test it out. His new limits didn't feel like they would be easily reached.

"Use this gift wisely, do not go seeking trouble with those you cannot defeat." Guru had a sad feeling his warning was falling on deaf ears.

"Yeah, all I wanted was to be able to protect my people anyway." Yamcha was half lying; he also wanted to be able to prove he was a man to win back Bulma.

"Find Goku and tell him to get the other Namekians off the planet as soon as possible. Unfortunately I won't be making the journey with them." In that sentence Guru showed how truly tired he was, his time was coming very soon.

"Yeah, I'll make sure they're safe." Yamcha was now determined to keep the dying elder's people from further harm, and reclaim what was his in the process.

Suddenly the color drained out of Guru's face. Gohan had woken up early. Yamcha's aura flared up around him as he too realized what had happened.

"Go quickly! Keep him from causing any damage."

Yamcha curtly nodded, and then flew off towards Gohan in a flash of newly acquired speed and power. It was then that Guru realized the true extent of his mistake. Gohan was more than twice as powerful as the scarred human. Yamcha would not last very long without help.

(Medical Tent)

Bulma had been sitting and watching the healers work fruitlessly on Gohan for some time now. It seemed like it had been days since the others left, but in reality it had been only hours.

One of the healers roused her from her musings. "Ma'am, the boy should be waking up very soon. He will suffer from intense headaches and possibly mood swings, but in time the damage should repair itself. Raising his Ki too far past a resting level could exacerbate the symptoms."

"That is excellent news!" Bulma was as happy as she'd been in a long time, Goku would finally have his son back. "How long do you think until he wakes up?

"It really shouldn't be long now, a day or two maybe…" He was cut off by a shrill scream from within the tent. Bulma and the Namekian rushed inside to help.

It was clear that they had underestimated Gohan's capacity for healing from life-threatening injuries. And judging by the puddle on the ground that used to be a Namekian, he was in a very bad mood.

Gohan raised his hand and vaporized the other healer's face off, and Bulma didn't know how to react. She was frozen in fear by the child of her best friend, and it caused her to do something she wasn't proud of. Bulma fainted.

This was all almost too perfect for Gohan. Not only were they pathetically weak, but they had actually been healing him for some reason. And other than the feeling that his skull was going to burst, Gohan felt like he was at 100 percent.

Well, maybe not 100 percent. He was obviously much stronger than he had been before his recent beatings. Gohan realized with a smirk that he had most likely surpassed Ginyu by now. But celebration would have to wait; he needed to find out where he was and why he was there.

"So, what do I do with you freaks?" Gohan sneered at the remaining healers, whom were cowering near the entrance. "Would you happen to know where my gear is?" He asked the smallest one in the group of green aliens. All he got in return was a fearful stare and a trembling finger pointed at his things.

His gear was lying haphazardly on the bedside table. Gohan quickly donned his armor and scouter. The armor was next to useless at this point though, the holes, cracks, and scorch marks told of his recent life or death battles. "You!" He pointed to the oldest looking healer. "What planet am I on?"

"Na…Namek." The green alien was shaking uncontrollably.

"Thanks for all the fantastic help, but I really must be going." Gohan fired a thin line of energy from his fingertip into the Namekian's heart, fatally piercing the vital organ. He was about to finish the rest off when his scouter began to go off loudly.

Several extremely high powers were headed straight for him. There were a group of four and a single warrior converging from opposite directions. The group had power levels that were easily some of the highest he had ever seen, the lone fighter would be his easiest escape route. He might even make a decent bargaining chip.

"Looks like that's where I need to be." Gohan ignored the rest of the people in the room, including the strange blue hared female, and headed to the approaching enemy. Hopefully he'd find some answers there as well.

AN- Updates should continue to be fairly rapid, at least compared to the several month gap. I have a lot to write for the time being, and I'm really excited with where the story is about to go. There is going to be lots of action and some intense emotion in the coming chapters.


	21. Chapter 21

AN- Here it is, another update! This one is pretty action packed, hopefully I made it fairly realistic. There is a short father-son scene I'm not so sure about, so I'd love some feedback on it. Thanks to Ky111, A Saiyan, Hoshi124, Kallu, aprOh1z, aFanAddict, and Guest for the reviews. We're up to 80!

Chapter 21- Friend or Foe?

Bulma awoke in the medical tent as if waking from a terrible nightmare. She was covered in sweat as she shakily made her way to the exit, and barely kept herself from vomiting. The sight before her barely registered as she attempted to make her way toward the door. She stepped over the cooling corpse of a dead Namekian as she crossed the threshold into the fresh air. The warm and strangely scented Namekian breeze calmed her nerves and her mental faculties returned enough to process what had just happened.

Goku's young son Gohan had just brutally murdered two people right in front of her.

Bulma couldn't believe what she had just seen. Even in her younger years she had never been that close to such extreme violence. Goku had been insanely powerful for his age, but he'd never used it in such a malicious way on anyone. The ease with which Gohan had ended the lives to the two healers wasn't something she was prepared to cope with. She didn't even register her surprise when Krillin slammed into the ground next to her.

"Bulma! Oh my gosh, what happened?" His face was as pale as one of the porcelain dolls her mom collected back on Earth, a thought that she felt was a little odd to be having. "We felt Gohan wake up, and then the Namekian's Ki signatures just vanished. Bulma, tell me he didn't…"

"Yeah." She choked, barely comprehending it herself, so explaining it in more than one word was out of the question.

Krillin rushed into the tent to help, but Bulma knew there wasn't anything that could be done. Short of making sure Gohan couldn't do it again that was. After seeing what he was capable of though, she wasn't sure anyone could stop him. Her feelings were confirmed when Krillin stumbled back out and threw up just out of the door. Bulma could only hope that the others could stop Gohan from spilling more innocent blood.

(Gohan)

Gohan hadn't felt so alive in a long time. During his time on Frreeza's ship he had killed because he had to survive. The feeling was subtly different when he took a life for pleasure. The rather weak warrior he was racing towards would be no more difficult to deal with. Gohan smirked; hopefully he would give him a chance to practice with this new power he possessed. Those two had been far too easy.

The others were a little more formidable. Gohan felt so much stronger than when had faced the Ginyu force on that burned out hell-hole of a planet, but he could tell he wasn't quite at 100 percent. Not that that had ever stopped him in the past.

Gohan's scouter alerted him that one of the stronger ones was gaining on him. He sped up easily, though he still didn't reach his new max. His speed had taken as drastic a leap as his power level. The slight headache that came with the increase of energy use did worry him though, hopefully it wasn't going to get any worse in a real fight.

(Yamcha)

Gohan had killed, and he was coming for him. It meant only one thing, he wasn't a friendly. Yamcha felt immensely stronger after Guru's help, but Gohan had gotten much more dangerous than when he was in the coma. Maybe challenging him alone was a bad idea.

Yamcha's resolve was strengthened when he felt out for Bulma's Ki and found it in the same spot as the dead Namekians. Gohan could've killed her too. Yamcha's rage towards the child skyrocketed. Gohan was a killer with ice water in his veins and wouldn't spare anyone, so he had to be treated in kind.

This wasn't Goku's son, this was a monster that needed to be dealt with. And it seemed he would get the first shot. The others were several minutes out and he could see Gohan on the horizon like a streak of blue light.

Yamcha touched down on the planet's surface and prepared himself for the confrontation, removing his weighted clothes. If Gohan wanted a fight he was going to get one.

(Gohan)

Gohan came to a stop a good distance from the fighter. He could just make out the tall man's features. He was wearing an orange gi and seemed fairly well trained judging by his stance. Perhaps this would actually be a little fun.

Gohan's hopes for a challenging battle were dashed by the silly battle cry and lack of grace in the warrior's charge. At least he wasn't going to draw his defeat out any longer than he had to. Gohan mimicked the fighter and closed the distance, slowing his movement to lull him into a false state of security.

For a moment Yamcha thought their speed was fairly equal, until Gohan disappeared at the last second. Yamcha hadn't even been able to feel the wind from the movement before the first blow struck across his back. No, their speed wasn't even close to being the same.

Gohan had delivered the kick with much less than his full power, fearing it would have split his opponent in half. Killing his bargaining chip before it was put to good use just wouldn't do. Even still, his enemy had been sent sprawling into the dirt. Gohan charged up an energy ball and tossed it haphazardly in Yamcha's direction, not really intending to cause any real damage.

Yamcha launched himself on all fours out of the blast's path. The heat from the attack singed his skin as it passed, and then struck in the distance. The force of the explosion sent him flying again. This was not at all how he had envisioned the fight going. Hopefully Goku would save him before he ended up permanently injured.

Yamcha expelled his cowardly thoughts and braced himself to attack again. He launched himself feet first like a torpedo, hoping to catch Gohan off guard. Gohan had seen it coming a mile away though, and Yamcha found himself very surprised when his ankle was the thing that ended up being caught. His surprise was momentary though as he was snapped out of his stupor by the sound of bones shattering.

Gohan lightly chuckled at the bloodcurdling scream that the scarred man unleashed. The delightful sounds of the warrior's pain fueling his bloodlust. Gohan mentally chastised himself, the man would be of little use to him dead.

Yamcha knew his leg was broken, the awkward angle his foot hung at confirming his suspicions. This was not at all how the fight was supposed to go.

"Don't worry, I'm sure your friends will be able to save you." Gohan chuckled as his scouter announced their arrival. "I can only hope they're more fun to play with than you were." He charged a small ball of energy and unleashed it on Yamcha's face. If he survived the encounter he would have a few new scars marring his complexion.

Piccolo could hear Gohan's sadistic taunts towards Yamcha as they approached, this was going to be a very dangerous situation. The young Saiyan was as crazy has Raditz, and far more powerful.

"Goku, this needs to be handled delicately. Gohan isn't going to be reasoned with easily." Piccolo's trepidation didn't seem to be shared as Goku ignored him and phased behind Gohan.

Gohan moved faster than he had anticipated though and lifted Yamcha by his throat and turned to face the new threat at his back. "Stay back, or I snap his neck like a twig."

Goku had no choice but to obey, the look in Gohan's eye promising that the threat was not hollow. "Why are you doing this?" The pain was evident in his voice as father gazed into the unrecognizing eyes of his son.

"I'll trade you this one's life for a ship and safe passage off the planet." Gohan stared blankly back, showing no signs he knew who Goku was.

His son's condition proved too much for Goku and he stumbled back, petrified. Piccolo instantly realized Goku would be of no use in the fight, it was up to himself and Tien now. He made eye contact with the three-eyed warrior and they understood what had to be done.

Piccolo raised his hands in a gesture of surrender as Tien sprang into action, silently phasing just beyond Gohan's view. He couldn't sense their Ki, and they would use it to their advantage. Piccolo swiftly raised his Ki to its max, overloading the energy-reading device and causing it to explode.

Gohan was blinded by the subtle move and released Yamcha from his vice grip. Yamcha scrambled from the child and made for the cover of some nearby rocks, no longer in a condition to participate. His broken ankle and badly burned face making him less than useless. The shame of his defeat burned far more than his wounds though.

Tien pressed his advantage and struck Gohan several times in rapid succession. Gohan quickly regained his bearings though and started blocking the attacks. Tien realized he was outclassed and launched himself backwards while simultaneously tossing a few Ki balls in Gohan's direction. They were inconsequential to Gohan though, barely even registering as they impacted. Piccolo was ready though, and as soon as Tien was clear he launched an offense of his own.

Gohan had finally met someone close to his level. The two exchanged blows at a furious pace and began to lift into the sky, seemingly even matched. But Piccolo could feel the difference in raw strength, Gohan had the advantage. The Namekian was more experienced though, and fought with his mind more than his muscles.

As they gained altitude Piccolo set his plan into action. He phased backwards, leaving an afterimage in his trail. Gohan was momentarily surprised when his fists met air and didn't see the attack coming. Piccolo had quickly charged his signature move, the Special Beam Cannon, which he unleashed on the unknowing Saiyan. It hit Gohan in the chest full force right as he erected an energy shield. Most of the damage was dispersed, but Gohan was still sent careening to the ground.

Gohan's collision with the ground knocked the wind out of him and caused several of his freshly healed ribs to crack. They weren't as strong as him, but these new enemies were crafty. Gohan looked down at the slow trickle of blood coming from the cut on his chest. He was lucky the attack hadn't pierced straight through him, and luck wasn't something he liked to rely on.

Before Gohan had a chance to regain his breath Tien attacked. He wasn't nearly as strong as the child, but Gohan was injured and hopefully not about to recover. Tien focused his energy and began to crush Gohan into the ground, using gravity as a weapon. Sweat trickled down his face and stung his three eyes.

Gohan felt like a space pod had landed on him. His chest was being smashed, and the cracked ribs were straining against the pressure. To top it off the headache had become a full blown migraine pounding his eyes like another set of fists. He snarled in anger and forced his way out from under the crushing force.

Piccolo was waiting and delivered a hard knee into Gohan's chest. The satisfying sound to the child's breath being forced out told of the damage he had inflicted. Gohan was tough though, and could easily fight through the blood pooling in his lungs.

Gohan hunched over the offending limb and sunk his sharp teeth into the green fighter's thigh. Warm blood gushed into his mouth and down his face. Piccolo howled and immediately dropped an elbow onto the back of his head.

Darkness invaded Gohan's vision and he fell to the ground. His head felt like it was split in half and there was a very loud buzzing sound in his ears, like a giant insect was flying around his skull.

"I think it's over." Tien panted; clearly glad no one was dead.

"Little brat better be done." Piccolo growled and he nursed the deep gouge on his leg. "I've had about enough of him trying to eat me for one day."

Gohan's vision was starting to clear however, and he sucked in several deep breaths. "I'm very disappointed." He laughed as he sat up. "I would hope you'd have a little more respect for someone so obviously your better."

Gohan shot up and kneed Piccolo hard in his jaw, sending one of the sharp teeth flying. He wasn't done though. Gohan turned his hip over midair and sent his foot sailing into Tien's stomach, launching the three-eyed fighter into the dust. Gohan wasn't done until he was dead. Based on the pain in his head it wouldn't be long though, he would have to cut all the fun short.

Piccolo heaved himself up, he had clearly misjudged this child. But he wasn't about to underestimate the young killer's rapidly rising Ki. Gohan was concentrating it for a killing blow, and it was aimed straight at him. Piccolo knew he wasn't as fast as Gohan and he had little hope of dodging the attack. Piccolo began to raise his own Ki hoping to block the attack, or at the very least redirect it.

Gohan wasn't stupid. The green warrior was nearly as strong as he was and the energy was gathering wasn't enough to ensure his complete destruction. Two against one wasn't a much better option, even if the Namekian was almost killed in the blast. His intended target was, in fact, just now picking himself up from the ground.

Tien wasn't out of the fight yet, but he could tell Piccolo might soon be a non-factor. He raced at Gohan, knowing he had only one choice. If Piccolo was injured there would be no hope of winning. His only option was to attack and distract Gohan enough to make him miss. Tien made his decision in a fraction of a second and flew full bore at Gohan while gathering what Ki he could.

Piccolo watched from the distance as Tien made his way to Gohan, whom would soon have enough power built up to cripple him. He watched in horror as the half-saiyan turned at the last second and released the energy onto Tien's body. Tien fired a blast of his own, but it was inconsequential. Piccolo was forced to cover his eyes as the blinding light enveloped Tien. It was all over in less than a few seconds.

Gohan laughed manically as the three-eyed warrior disappeared in a puff of carbon. The fight would be more enjoyable without the constant threat of that silly little insect flying up and stinging him. After the green one was gone he could question the other two about the whereabouts of their ship, since they clearly weren't from here.

"You monster." Piccolo had barely known Tien, but ever since his fusion with Kami he'd felt much closer to the Earthlings. "I won't allow you to spill anymore blood. This ends now!" He used the Ki he had gathered to block the attack for one of his own. Piccolo launched dozens of energy balls at Gohan, though none of them seemed to hit their target.

Gohan was about to retaliate for Piccolo's seemingly failed attack, when he understood it hadn't missed. All of the energy had gathered in a semi-sphere around his back and sat waiting. Gohan realized it was too late to stop and braced for their impact. Piccolo let out a ferocious battle cry as he closed his outstretched hand into a tight fist, and the Ki balls followed suit. Gohan screamed in pain as they collided with his body, throwing him like a ragdoll.

Piccolo panted with the exertion of his attack. There was no way that hadn't caused some serious damage. Thick smoke obscured his vision, but his Namekian hearing detected Gohan's impact in the distance and the proceeding groans.

Gohan had not expected the technique, and it hit him full force. His armor was now little more than tatters, not that it had been much better to start with. He could feel that the cracked ribs were now completely broken, though he was sure he'd suffered worse. The headache was almost unbearable now though. Gohan wasn't sure how much he had left in him. His body was still fairly strong, even enough to win the fight, but he was now positive he had some brain damage.

Piccolo stood just feet from Gohan as the smoke cleared. He was more than satisfied with the damage he had done. Gohan's Ki was still incredibly high, but there wasn't very much fight left in him. Blood seeped out of the saiyan's eyes and ears, the wounds from the battle inside his head were reopened.

"Give it up kid, if you don't get medical attention soon, you will die." Piccolo was practically snarling, his instincts to kill Gohan almost winning against his newfound moral compass.

"You really think this is over?" Gohan rasped as he clawed to his feet. "I've fought through much worse than this, and we both know I'm stronger than you." A bit of doubt snuck into Piccolo's mind as he felt Gohan raise his Ki once again. Piccolo banished it as he lifted his arm to deliver an incapacitating blow.

"Enough!" Goku had been overcome with grief before, but Tien's death had awoken him to his son's evil. "This is over!" His Ki was boiling over, and Piccolo knew what would happen if the issue was pressed. He lowered his own Ki and backed away, though he was still more than ready to continue the fight if need be.

"And just where have you been?" Gohan laughed. "Finally come to join the party?"

Goku stalked over to the two, rocks disintegrated around his feet as he went. "I said this is over!" His aura reached for the heavens and crackled with golden lightning, casting an ominous light on the trio.

Gohan remained skeptical, but was quickly coming to the conclusion that he had lost. His scouter was broken, but this new warrior must have been near Freeza's power level. Maybe the man in the orange gi was even stronger than the tyrant, the thought caused bile to rise in Gohan's throat. He wasn't about to be a slave again. Gohan would much rather die fighting than live in another cage.

Goku was seeing things in slow motion, or maybe he was just much, much faster than his son. Gohan raised his arm up to attack, but Goku phased over in an instant and gripped it tightly. Goku forced the arm to Gohan's side and leaned in close to his face.

"You really don't remember me." The statement carried with it years of sorrow and regret.

"I have no idea who any of you people are!" Gohan spat, struggling against the imposing man's grasp.

"It's me Gohan," Goku was crying slightly now, "it's your dad."

Gohan wasn't sure he had heard what the man said, it almost sounded like he claimed to be his father. "What?" Gohan's Ki dipped back to normal levels and his arms went limp. "You can't be my dad! My father is dead!"

Goku leaned in even closer and wrapped his arms around Gohan's disfigured torso. "You're finally back." He sobbed as his aura died back down. It was the last thing Gohan heard as the pain finally overcame him and shadows invaded his vision. But he did remember Goku's face from his dreams, late at night aboard the bastard's ship. Gohan's head hung forward, blood now flowing freely from his head, and his eyes rolled back in his skull. The throbbing migraine had become a dull numbness.

"Gohan!" Goku had to fight hard against the urge to shake him, not wanting to risk further injury. He may have been a murder, but he was still his son.

Gohan briefly thought about how much Goku must have despised him now. He had just murdered someone that was apparently one of his friends, and threatened to kill many more. The burdens of his conflicting emotions were eased though as the darkness pulled him back in. The reunion may have been unexpected and maybe even unwanted, but Gohan couldn't bring himself to worry about that now.

Piccolo watched the exchange with bated breath. It hadn't gone as badly as he figured it would've, but it hadn't exactly been good either. Tien was dead, and Yamcha was badly injured. Father and son had finally been brought back together though, even if the moment was bittersweet. And not a moment too soon it seemed, the other saiyans were closing in in Namek, and Freeza was close behind.

AN- Chapter 22 will be up in about 10 days. Senior projects are due and I have a few more things to complete. The school year is coming to a close though, and updates will be frequent in the summer. Until then, I'd love to hear what you guys think about the reunion.


	22. Chapter 22

AN- Sorry about the wait, I haven't been very close to my computer for the last week or so. This is the longest single chapter so far though. I'm going to work on making the rest of them around this length in the future. I made Vegeta and Nappa quite a bit stronger than when they first arrived in cannon, I couldn't really have Vegeta be relevant if he was completely overshadowed by the others.

Thanks to Guest, Kallu, Ky111, aFanAddict, Hoshi124, apr0ph1z, and FloatingCow for the reviews. Thanks to everyone that has added the story to your alerts/favorites lists. So far this is roughly the same timeline, probably just a bit longer than in cannon. At this point in the fic Gohan is around 6.

Chapter 22- The Apple's Approximate Distance from the Tree

Gohan was beginning to get annoyed with constantly waking up disoriented, it happened entirely too often for comfort. He recognized that he was back where he had first awoken on the planet, minus the green corpses, but he still didn't quite understand why. And in his experience knowing why you were somewhere was just as important as knowing where you were.

The last thing he remembered was coming face to face with someone that claimed to be his father. While the man resembled his faint memories of Goku, Gohan's memory was very clear that Raditz had slain his father back on Earth. How Goku could've been alive and on Namek was beyond him. Something was wrong, but Gohan didn't really know how to go about finding out what it was.

Maybe it was an imposter, somehow imitating Goku to trick him. Or it was a hallucination, as Gohan's damaged brain seemed to suffer from quite regularly. If it really was Goku then Gohan was faced with another problem. He wasn't exactly the boy Goku had raised, and he'd seen and done far too much to be that innocent child ever again. How would Goku feel about who Gohan was now?

Gohan was thinking over all of the possible implications of Goku's return, when he realized he wasn't alone. He was too lethargic to raise himself from the bed, but he was on guard nonetheless. The powerful Namekian he had recently clashed with was sitting cross-legged on the floor watching him.

Gohan wasn't quite sure what to do. All of his instincts told him to attack the intruder, but he felt somewhat compelled to do absolutely nothing. If the warrior had wanted him dead he could have easily broken Gohan's neck while he rested. The Namekian was here for some other reason.

They stared at each other for some time before the green man finally spoke. "Hello Gohan." The Namekian seemed to be suffering from the same mutual discomfort as Gohan over their conversation. "You probably don't remember me from Earth, but my name is Piccolo."

The name stirred a deep-seated fear within Gohan. His father's stories of the "Demon King Piccolo" momentarily confused and frightened him. What was Goku's greatest enemy doing here as one of his allies?

"This is all probably very confusing for you, and I understand that." Piccolo's rough tone didn't exactly speak volumes about understanding though. "I've been informed of some of the things you've been put through, and I can't very well put myself in your position. But I do know the facts of the last year of your life."

"Oh, please. You don't know anything about the last year of my life; you can't possibly imagine what I've seen and done." Gohan sneered, he sounded not unlike Freeza's other goons. "The last year is all that matters now, because it made me who I am. I am not the little child that was taken. In fact, I've easily spilled more blood and taken more lives than most people even know exist in the galaxy."

Piccolo didn't doubt Gohan's statement, especially not after the horror stories he'd been told about Freeza. King Kai had described Freeza as a destructive monster of unimaginable power and evil, and that it had an uncanny ability to brain-wash and control its soldiers. The child before him wasn't entirely free from blame though. Piccolo knew all too well that blood didn't easily wash off.

"You're probably right, and Goku won't ever understand either." The last part came out a little more harshly than Piccolo intended. "You need to understand that things aren't like that anymore. Goku would move worlds to keep you safe."

"Would he purge all sentient life from those very same worlds? Drain the blood from every man, woman, and child?" Gohan was shaking with rage, who was Piccolo to pretend to care?

"Think what you want, but know that Goku loves you." Piccolo stood up and pointed his finger at Gohan, causing him to tense up and wait for the attack. Instead of a deadly energy beam, Gohan felt clothes appear on him to replace his ruined armor. Piccolo nodded his head and swiftly left the room. He didn't seem angry over the conversation, just uncaring one way or the other.

Gohan fumed. So what if these people had known him before he became the murder of billions? That didn't change what he was and what he had done and it certainly wouldn't make him fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness. Even still, Gohan couldn't shake the fear of what Goku would think of him now or his confusion at the gesture Piccolo had made by clothing him.

(Outside)

Bulma had all of her things packed and was more than ready to go. She would be taking as many Namekians as they could fit back to Earth. The ship could fit less than half of them, and it was going to be very crowded. She had no idea how they would get the rest of them back, so they would take the youngest first. Many of the older Namekians and warriors had elected to stay behind, no matter how doomed the planet was.

"Well Krillin, I guess this is goodbye. At least until you guys beat all the bad guys and come home." Bulma carried an air of sadness and resignation in her words. Krillin was staying behind to help, even against enemies impossibly strong. Tien had already paid the ultimate price for his bravery. Bulma shuddered as her thoughts drifted to the monster resting inside their makeshift hospital. Gohan had killed so easily, and he was too young to be that callous and powerful. Yamcha knew firsthand what the saiyan could do, and it had caused him to practically demand being on the first shuttle off the small world.

"I'd hoped I would never have to say goodbye like this, at least not until I was an old man with lots of grandchildren." Krillin chuckled, though it didn't take away from the resignation in his voice. He knew he was probably going to die, and unlike Yamcha he still elected to stay. Bulma had never thought of Krillin as a coward, but an act of bravery like this was unexpected to say the least. It was almost as surprising as Yamcha's brazen cowardice.

"I'm so sorry Krillin, but I'm sure everything will turn out alright in the end." Bulma could barely believe her own words. For some reason she doubted even the great Son Goku could weather the coming storm.

"Don't worry about it Bulma, we've got this one easy. Those saiyans won't know what hit them."

"I know, I'm more worried about the one that's already here." Bulma had whispered it, but she still wished she hadn't said it. Goku cared deeply for Gohan, and what father wouldn't love his son. But after Tien's death she couldn't view Gohan as anything but a cold-blooded murderer.

"I know this may sound weird, but I don't really blame Gohan for what he did. From what Piccolo told me Gohan is much more, I guess the term would be well-adjusted than most would be. All he's known for the last year is violence, and being so young maybe he can't even appreciate what death really is." Krillin knew that Gohan was a monster, but who wouldn't be if they were in the same situation.

"I hope you're right Krillin. Goku and ChiChi deserve to get their son back. I really hope there's still some of Gohan left in there."

"Yeah, you and me both. Take care of yourself Bulma, and keep an eye out for Roshi if I don't come back."

"Goodbye Krillin." Bulma hugged her childhood friend, perhaps for the last time, and then boarded the crowded ship.

(Piccolo)

After his conversation with Gohan, Piccolo had needed to clear his head. He had flown a distance away and meditated on a large boulder, waiting for something to happen. Piccolo was keeping a close eye on Gohan's Ki, making sure he didn't do anything to harm anyone again. In the back of his mind he had also been tracking the saiyans.

There were two of them coming, but only one of them was anything special. Though they were both much stronger than most of the warriors on Namek. The stronger one was just short of Gohan's strength, and the weaker one was a bit stronger than Tien had been.

Goku and Piccolo could've easily handled the two, but Piccolo had hoped Gohan would help. It was probably the Kami in him, and he wanted Goku and Gohan to reconcile. Piccolo's more pragmatic side knew that Gohan was far too dangerous to be trusted yet.

Regardless of who handled them, the saiyans were landing soon. Bulma, Yamcha, and the Namekians that she could fit on the ship had just taken off. The planet was as deserted of innocents as possible, and the battle was about to begin.

(Orbit around Namek)

Vegeta watched as the small ship sailed past them. He would've destroyed it, but after checking his scouter and realizing that the passengers were inconsequential he had let them pass. Vegeta was far too worried about what his scouter was reading on the planet to go killing insects as they fled.

Vegeta did not understand what he was seeing on his scouter. Most of the people left on the planet were relatively weak, except for one. His scouter recognized the energy signature as belonging to Gohan. Vegeta had never met the half-breed, and from what he had heard Gohan was quite the little warrior. Even still, what he was seeing made no sense. According to his scouter Gohan's power level was 110,000! Vegeta had watched his scouter as the power level increased, Gohan seemed to have healed from a recent battle.

Vegeta and Nappa had been training and purging nonstop for years now, readying themselves to finally kill Freeza, and a little half-Saiyan brat had somehow surpassed him. Vegeta was livid with the implication that someone might reach Super Saiyan before him. He knew what he had to do though; if he couldn't beat Gohan one on one he would just use his lineage to his advantage.

"I engaged the ships auto-landing sequence. We'll be planet side in less than an hour." Nappa tentatively announced, not wishing to incur Vegeta's wrath over the Gohan situation.

"Take us down away from anyone with a power level above 5,000. Freeza's on its way and I want to make this fight as short as possible." Vegeta's plan would take a bit of time to put into action.

(Medical Tent)

Gohan was feeling much better now, his head no longer felt like a spike was being driven through it. He had spent the better part of the day thinking about what Piccolo had said. Gohan didn't know what Goku really thought, but maybe there was a chance for things to be better. They would never be like they were before, but it would be better than being a slave on Freeza's ship.

Gohan groaned as he slipped from the bed, his muscles aching with underuse. He stretched a bit and crept out the door, wary of any surprises. There weren't nearly as many people standing around as before. Gohan figured most of them had left in the ship he'd heard launch earlier. He had almost interrupted them to take it for himself, but decided to wait and see how things with Goku played out.

Shaking the thoughts of fleeing from his head, Gohan set off to find Goku. The only people around were a couple of elderly Namekians and a small bald man wearing an identical orange Gi as Goku and the weakling before. Gohan almost felt like he knew the short warrior, but he couldn't place his finger on how.

Gohan scanned his surroundings looking for the unmistakable spiked hair, and found his target staring into a lake a ways away. Gohan froze, what was he going to say? What could he say to convey how he felt, and how exactly did he feel?

Goku saved him from having to make the first move by offering Gohan a gentle smile and a wave. Gohan was emboldened by the gesture and made his way over, though he was still perplexed over what he would say.

"It's good to see you're up and moving Gohan. How are you feeling?"

Gohan was at a loss for words. How was having a conversation this important so easy for Goku? After staring at his now living father for what felt like an eternity, Gohan finally found his voice and replied. "Fine, better than I was a few days ago."

Goku chuckled and pointed back down to the water. "I'll bet you're starving after being in bed for so long."

Gohan hadn't really thought about it, but the last thing he'd had to eat had been a decomposing corpse on a recently purged planet. That had been several days ago, and it felt like a lifetime. "Yeah."

"Good, I'm not sure I can eat him all by myself." Before Gohan could ask him what he was talking about, Goku dove headfirst into the water.

Gohan watched the water for some time, waiting for Goku to resurface. Gohan began to get excited when bubbles began breaking the surface. He leaned in closer to get a better look, when suddenly a massive fish went flying out and crashed down a few feet away. Goku followed closely after it.

"I thought it was bigger while it was in the water, I really hope this is enough for both of us."

Gohan started to salivate merely at the thought of having a meal, let alone a huge fresh fish. He was surprised when Goku didn't just dig in and eat it raw, instead he kicked down a tree and started a fire to cook it over. Gohan didn't usually worry about cooking his food, unless it was rotten or had been sitting on a pile of bodies in the sun for too long.

Goku cleaned and cooked the fish while Gohan watched and tried to keep his stomach under control. A comfortable silence fell over them as the fish cooked, broken only by their stomach's growling loudly. Goku would glance at the sky occasionally while cooking the fish, but Gohan didn't make anything of it. He was too excited for a real meal to worry about Goku fidgeting.

The fish was done quickly and they set about devouring it down to the bone. They were about halfway done with it when Goku stopped eating and turned to Gohan. "We need to hurry up, they're almost here."

"What are you talking about?" Gohan was genuinely confused, maybe Goku was crazy?

"The other saiyans are about to land on Namek. We can't really fight on empty stomachs" Goku seemed to think this was enough of an explanation, and he went back to eating.

Gohan was still pretty confused, but he decided in that moment that he liked Goku. He didn't really love him like a father, and he probably never would, but he respected him as a warrior. Goku wasn't worried about fighting, just getting hungry in the middle of a battle. They continued to eat in silence until they were done.

They finished their meal just in time, and Piccolo met them as they took off. "I see you two are getting along now. Let's handle the saiyans quickly. I don't want to hang around for Freeza."

Upon hearing Freeza's name Gohan's Ki skyrocketed. Goku and Piccolo both felt it, and it greatly worried Piccolo. It felt the same as when Goku's when he was angry, only Gohan didn't have the same level of control as his father. Piccolo was fairly afraid of Goku when he got like that, but Gohan was terrifying. Having that much power and anger at the same time was dangerous for anyone, let alone someone that could kill on a whim. There was also the issue of whether Gohan's body could handle much more power. The odds were pretty good that another power-up of that magnitude would tear him apart.

Goku and Piccolo exchanged a glance, and both knew what had to be done if Gohan became violent. Luckily he seemed to regain his composure and they continued to where the saiyans were landing.

(Vegeta)

Vegeta checked his scouter, and wasn't at all surprised to see the strongest warriors headed their way. They were the ones that would be in for a surprise. Only he would get to use the dragon balls, everyone in his way would be killed.

"Get ready Nappa, it's time to show them the meaning of terror." Vegeta laughed as he charged an orb of blinding light in his hand. Nappa cracked his knuckles and got ready for the transformation. He didn't want to believe Gohan had grown so powerful, but Vegeta using the transformation right off the bat convinced him. The child wasn't to be trifled with.

Three blue specks could be seen on the horizon as Vegeta finished the ball of energy. They were in for a shock when they arrived. He opened his hand more, causing it to continually expand as he tossed it high into the sky.

Gohan could see the orb of light even from their distance, and he knew exactly what it meant. Even without his tail he could feel his heartbeat increase and his hair stand on end. They were transforming because they weren't strong enough to win, and the transformation made a saiyan almost ten times stronger. He'd had his tail removed for that very reason.

"We have to hurry and stop them before they finish." Gohan yelled as he increased his speed, hoping to catch them before they could finish.

Goku didn't know what Gohan was talking about, until he felt the rush of energy as he stared into the ball floating in the distance. He got the same feeling some nights when he stayed outside and watched the full moon rise, and that didn't bode well for them. Goku pushed himself to catch up with Gohan, Piccolo trailed close behind.

They arrived just in time to see two massive apes stand at their full height, the tallest one was easily over 50 feet tall. They were also wearing similar armor to what Gohan had been wearing when he first arrived, though in much better condition.

Goku watched in horror as the taller of the two opened its mouth and unleashed a huge beam of energy in their direction. It wasn't aimed very carefully, but Goku could feel the insane power that it radiated. He didn't even want to think about the damage the shorter one could do, it was obviously more powerful.

Gohan was the first to attack, firing blast after blast into the larger monkey's huge chest. They were all fairly powerful attacks, but they were simply shrugged off. The oversized primate let out an explosive laugh that reverberated through Gohan's entire body, and caused the headache to threaten a violent return.

"You can handle them on your own Nappa, it seems the whelp is the only one with any fight in him anyway." Boomed the shorter monkey, though it was clear he was the one calling the shots. He then proceeded to launch himself onto a nearby boulder and sat with a crash.

"You got it Vegeta." Nappa chuckled. "I was getting hungry anyway."

Piccolo was at a loss. These two were much more of a threat than he had anticipated and they were clearly unprepared to handle them. His only experience fighting saiyans had been with Goku and Raditz, but they had never threatened to eat him. Piccolo did know, however, that their tails were the weak spot. That was where they needed to strike.

Nappa seemed to be enjoying himself, firing pure energy at Gohan and Goku out of his mouth as they dodged and ran. The father and son duo weren't entirely defensive, though their retaliatory attacks did little to nothing against Nappa's boosted power.

"This isn't working Gohan! We have to do something different."

"Yeah, I've just never been on the receiving end of this before though. The tail is the source of the power. If we get rid of it he'll go back to normal, and Nappa isn't very powerful on his own." Gohan shouted as he dodged yet another attack. He would have killed scores of people to have his own tail back right about now.

"He's way too fast for being so big! We need to distract him somehow!" Goku was having very similar thoughts about his tail, minus the killing to get it back.

"You two handle the distraction, I'll take care of the tail." Piccolo yelled as he moved in behind Nappa.

Vegeta just sat and watched the whole display. If Nappa couldn't handle them while transformed there was no point in helping, he planned on killing the bald saiyan when they were done anyway. He was intrigued by Kakarot and the green one's power though, the scouters had them pegged as weaklings. Perhaps the technology was easier to fool than he had thought when he was younger. They obviously knew a technique to mask their true strength.

Nappa heard their plan however, and wasn't about to be fooled by the trio. Losing the fight, and more importantly his tail, was not high up on his list of things to do. It was just after actually following through with Vegeta and betraying Freeza. He would be rewarded handsomely when he delivered the dragon balls to the Colds.

Gohan flew in close to Nappa's head and unloaded a series of blasts aimed at the brute's eyes. They did their job and Gohan found himself as the primary source of Nappa's primal aggression. Goku was close behind him, aiming his attacks at Nappa's ears. They had quickly figured out that body shots did next to nothing against him.

Piccolo seized the opportunity and moved for Nappa's tail. He focused the Ki he'd been gathering into one arm and made it form a sharp edge along his hand. Hopefully it would prove enough to sever the massive appendage.

The plan backfired however, and Piccolo was sent flying with a flick of Nappa's tail before he had a chance to strike a decisive blow. Gohan stole a glance back as he attempted to outmaneuver the saiyan's fast but clumsy hands. He looked back just in time to see that the plan had failed, and he was too slow to dodge Nappa's next move.

Goku was about to reengage Nappa's unprotected face when he heard Gohan scream in pain. He turned to help his son, and was met with Gohan's feet to his face. Nappa was swinging Gohan like a bat, wielding his body as a weapon and crushing him at the same time. Goku could hear Gohan howl in pain again as he went flying into the distance.

Nappa saw Goku flying headfirst towards Vegeta and moved to catch him. These two were his for dinner, Vegeta could have the disgusting plant-man. He caught Goku in much the same fashion as Gohan, and began to squeeze.

Gohan felt like he was going to pop. He was being crushed in the iron grip and there was nothing he could do to stop it. This was not how he thought it would end. He tried biting and burning his way out, but Nappa seemed immune from pain.

Piccolo could only watch in terror as Nappa began to squash the Son's with his bare hands. The saiyan was an unstoppable killing machine, and he was powerless against it. But in the back of his mind he still felt like he was forgetting something.

Goku now knew just what Gohan had been screaming about. The pain of being crushed was like nothing he had ever experienced before. But Nappa seemed content to prolong their suffering, not quite squeezing either of them to death.

Nappa raised both of them to his face and let out a hearty chuckle. "Looks like I'm about to eat half of the remaining saiyan race. Too bad really, I heard you were quite the little killer Gohan." He lifted them to his mouth and opened just wide enough to accommodate Gohan's small frame.

Goku knew they were almost done, but he had no intention of being eaten alive. Goku had one last trick up his sleeve. He brought his free hand to his face and used what little air he had to spare to scream two words. "Solar Flare!"

Nappa wasn't sure what had happened. One second he was about to enjoy an appetizer, and the next all he could see was the most intense light of his life. His eyes felt like they had been bathed in acid. Nappa tightened his grip on the two and began blindly beating them into his chest like a great ape. He didn't need to be able to see to pulverize them.

Krillin had been paralyzed with fear during most of the fight. He was too weak to really help anyway. When he saw Goku blind the massive primate though, he saw an opportunity. Krillin quickly charged his signature move, and hurled it at the saiyan's tail. He may not have been particularly strong, but he had faith in the sharpness of the disk and its ability to cut through just about anything.

Vegeta watched the whole scene with disinterest. Nothing that happened to Nappa was really of any consequence to him. He didn't even bat an eye when he saw the razor-sharp disk of energy go flying towards Nappa's tail. It seemed they had underestimated their foes.

Nappa was just regaining his sight when he felt a strange slicing sensation in his lower back. He really hoped it wasn't what he thought it was. The fleshy sound of his tail hitting the ground and the shrinking feeling only served to confirm his fears. Nappa howled in pain, then dropped Gohan and Goku as he shrunk back to his normal size.

Gohan couldn't believe it. Someone had removed the tail and saved them, but he didn't know who it could've been. He had a hard time worrying about it though, as he was finally able to take in a full breath and expand his bruised ribcage.

Piccolo flew down and seized Nappa by the throat. The saiyan was quite a bit taller though, so he had to be pulled down to his level. "Seems you're not so tough without this." He held up Nappa's tail for him to see. He then incinerated it, much to Nappa's dismay.

"No! I could've put it back on you bastard!"

"Not a chance." Piccolo laughed as he kneed Nappa in the gut, causing the larger fighter to double over in pain.

"Lord Freeza will destroy you when it arrives! You will all burn for what you've done."

Vegeta listened to the display with disgust. He knew Nappa was delusional, but he hadn't realized he was quite this far gone. "Looks like you won't be around to greet your precious lizard Nappa." He spat, shaking the ground as he stood up. Piccolo tightened his grip and tensed for Vegeta to attack, despite their apparent conflict he still didn't trust the saiyan to not attack without warning.

"Lord Freeza knows all about your little plan Vegeta, I've been informing it from the start. You won't get away with it!" Nappa laughed insanely despite the pain radiating throughout his body. "I will be rewarded with power and wealth while you rot in the ground."

"You really think Freeza is going to rest while any saiyans are still alive? I heard you were dumb, but I didn't believe you were a complete moron." Gohan knew all about Vegeta and Nappa, having been compared to the former on more than one occasion.

"You hear that Nappa? The child has more common sense than you." Vegeta boomed. "It seems we may have a common goal Gohan, neither of us wants to see Freeza to draw another breath."

"If you're asking for a truce, then I'd have to ask what would be in it for me." Gohan sneered, not really believing for a second that Vegeta wanted anything but to kill them all.

"Nothing but Freeza's head on a platter, which is something I'm willing to bet you'd like to see as well."

Piccolo was very wary of the offer. Gohan was Goku's son, and he still kept an eye on him at all times. Vegeta was not only a threat on his own, but he had been with Freeza a lot longer than Gohan. There was no telling how insane he really was. The fact that he was still a giant ape wasn't helping his case. Piccolo did know that Vegeta's experience with the Colds would be invaluable in the coming fight though.

"Here, a token of good faith." Gohan couldn't tell, but it looked like Vegeta was smiling as he reached down and snatched Nappa from Piccolo's grasp. He lifted his once ally up and tossed him screaming into his mouth, chewing twice before swallowing.

Krillin flew down just in time to see Goku and Piccolo throwing up. He hadn't seen what happened, but he could put two and two together. Gohan on the other hand didn't bat an eye at the display of cannibalism. Krillin could feel bile creeping up his throat, but he swallowed it back. He had to be ready to remove Vegeta's tail too if need be, even if the odds of the same trick working twice were almost nonexistent.

"Fine, but only until Freeza is dead." Gohan didn't say it, but Freeza would die by his hand, no matter who got in the way.

"Too bad, Nappa was barely an appetizer." Vegeta joked as he shrunk back to his regular size, his hair receding back to his skin.

Goku had been disgusted when Vegeta ate Nappa like he was nothing, he couldn't wrap his mind around how fast they turned on each other. He was even more surprised by Vegeta's small stature. The saiyan was barely bigger than Krillin. However, the raw energy he radiated betrayed his true nature. Vegeta was just barely weaker than Gohan, but he had a massive potential for growth.

"Kakarot." Vegeta nodded as he brushed past him towards Gohan.

Goku didn't know what he meant, but it seemed like Vegeta thought that was his name. This was all turning out to be very confusing, but Goku would trust his son's judgment.

AN- There's chapter 22. Vegeta will play a role in the story, I just hope this was a fairly believable way to introduce him. Neither Gohan nor Vegeta are going to just change their ways overnight though. Don't expect Gohan to start calling Goku "dad" anytime soon. Look forward to Freeza's arrival here in the next few chapters!


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